Saturday, August 30, 9:30 a.m.

Join our yearly picnic cookout where we’ll have goodies for the grill, and please feel free to bring something to share! The IMA will provide burgers, dogs, buns, and condiments. On this survey, we’ll also be collecting specimens for the annual show at the Chicago Botanic Garden!

Detailed info on location and how to join will go to IMA members via email. Renew or join here.

Attending a survey is a great way to get involved and begin your education in fungal identification (mushrooms, lichens and other fungi). Learn how to hunt for morels in spring, identify chanterelles in the middle of summer, or search for boletes in the fall. Here you will learn the numerous characteristics necessary to help identify mushrooms and other fungal species, while discovering their important ecological roles and making new friends and acquaintances.

These surveys are intended to educate IMA members on fungal identification, while documenting the fungal diversity of the region. The specimens obtained during these surveys enrich the scientific collections of the Field Museum and serve as a record of fungal diversity of individual locations at specific points in time. They also are used to track changes in our fungal community.

The survey schedule is a benefit of IMA membership. If you are interested in starting your education right away, join us and we’ll be happy to introduce you to the world of fungi through one of our surveys.