Registration Now Open
Join us for the 26th Annual Gary Lincoff Memorial Foray, a full day of mushroom education, forays, and community.

Main Event Details
– Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
– Time: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
– Location: The Lodge at North Park
– Directions: https://wpamushroomclub.org/locations/the-lodge-at-north-park/

Registration
Register using the online form below (preferred)
Or mail in a printed PDF form WPMC-FORAY-26

Important:
Registration fees increase after September 15, 2026
Non-members can join WPMC during registration

Keynote Speakers:
This year’s keynote speakers will be:
– Kristen Wickert, Ph.D.
– Alden Dirks, Ph.D.

Kristen Wickert, Ph.D.

Dr Kristen Wickert PhD

Dr. Kristen Wickert is a plant pathologist by training and avid naturalist in her personal time where she tries to spend as much of it as she can outside. Her educational background includes a bachelors in Forest Biology from Penn State and a master’s and PhD in Plant Pathology from West Virginia University, where she spent time working with Ascomycotan fungi that cause disease in forest trees. Her master’s work focused on endophytic and plant pathogenic fungi in Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) needles and their ability to act as facultative entomopathogens against the devastating insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae HWA). Kristen’s doctoral research and on-going project is the use of a plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium nonalfalfae to kill the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge about the not too obvious world of plant pathogenic fungi and their role in forest health and ecology.

Her talk “Fungal Plant Pathogens Ecological Role in the Forest” will cover the fungi that help keep our forests in balance; the plant pathogens. These cryptic fungi are co-evolved with the plants in our forests and cause diseases to the weak and sick, which constantly increases the resiliency of our forests. Unfortunately, there are some exotic pathogens that are accidentally introduced and cause diseases that our forests aren’t naturally co-evolved with to adapt to. Kristen’s talk will cover the role of plant pathogenic fungi in our forests, their natural and unnatural balance, as well as how we can prevent them from becoming the next invasive species harming our forests.

Alden Dirks, Ph.D.

Dr Alden Dirks PhD

Dr. Alden Dirks (they/them) has been a practicing mycologist for over a decade. They are currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where they investigate antifungal resistance in invasive fungal diseases affecting immunocompromised children. Previously, Alden earned their PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan in 2024 and an MS in Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. While fascinated by all aspects of fungi, their primary research interests include fungal systematics (especially pertaining to lorchels, crust fungi, and fungal dark matter taxa); fungal mating systems and queer mycology; fungal genomics and secondary metabolites; and medical mycology. Alden is also an avid forager with the lifelong goal of eating 1001 fungal species. As an ambassador of the “kindom” Fungi, Alden teaches the public about mycology through forays, workshops, and lectures, exposing students to the lesser-known and underappreciated organisms that comprise the majority of fungal biodiversity.

His talk “False morels or true lorchels? A deep dive into the toxicology and edibility of Gyromitra mushrooms and related species (Discinaceae, Pezizales, Ascomcyota).” Lorchels, also known as false morels (Gyromitra spp. and related species), are iconic mushrooms for their impressive morphology and infamous production of the gyromitrin mycotoxin. For centuries, there has been much confusion and speculation regarding species concepts and the distribution of gyromitrin in lorchels. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in understanding species boundaries and evolutionary relatedness in the lorchel family (Discinaceae, Pezizales), as well as their ecological roles and toxin production. Join lorchel expert Dr. Alden Dirks for an overview of our latest findings informed by widespread fungarium sequencing, in-depth taxonomic revisions, and cutting-edge phylogenomic analyses.

Schedule:
A full schedule of events will be posted here soon—please check back for updates.

No pets permitted in 2026:
Service Animals are welcome provided they meet the criteria of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means they must be trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability and must remain under the handler’s control. Pets and other non-service animals are not permitted.

Sales
– The WPMC club will be selling T-shirts and books (cash and credit accepted).
– There will be no vendors this year.

Volunteer:
Help make the foray a success!
Contact: [email protected]