The Gary Lincoff Memorial Foray

Dr. Barrie Overton is a professor of biology at Loch Haven University (now part of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania), where he teaches Biology and Mycology courses.  His areas of expertise include plant pathology, identification of wild edible mushrooms, and White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats.

WNS is a fatal disease, caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a fungus that has devastated North American bat populations.  At this year’s Gary Lincoff Foray, Dr. Overton will talk about WNS and the new species of Pseudogymnoascus that he has found in Pennsylvania caves.

Dr. Overton and his students have been published extensively on WNS and have made many presentations.  His laboratory’s work has appeared in FUNGI magazine on numerous occasions.  In fact, Dr. Overton’s lab took the photo on the cover of the Spring 2020 issue of FUNGI.

Dr. Overton’s lab is currently working on fungi that could be used to control the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly.  To read his article from the Winter 2023 issue of FUNGI magazine, go to: https://fungimag.com/winter-2023-articles/V15n5_Forgotten_Fungi.pdf

Noah Siegel, one of the premier mushroom photographers in the nation, will present “Under Pressure: Evolution Oddities in the Fungal World”.  This lecture will highlight some of the fascinating traits which fungi have evolved due to environmental pressures, and the strive to get ahead in the fungal world.

Noah’s field mycology skills are extensive – he has spent over three decades seeking, photographing, identifying, and furthering his knowledge about all aspects of macrofungi. He has hunted for mushrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as on multiple expeditions to New Zealand and Australia and Cameroon.

Noah has won numerous awards from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) photography contest. His technique and attention to detail are unrivaled, arising from a philosophy of maximizing utility for identification purposes while maintaining a high degree of aesthetic appeal. His photographs have appeared on the covers and have been featured in articles of multiple issues of FUNGI Magazine, the primary mushroom enthusiast magazine in the United States, numerous mushroom books, as well as many club publications.

Noah authored, along with Christian Schwarz, Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California and A Field Guide to the Rare Fungi of California’s National Forests. He is currently working on Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Noah travels and lectures extensively across America, following the mushrooms from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.