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• 2024 Arizona Burn Morel Maps

  • When
    27 Jun 2024
  •  
    9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    burn areas throughout the state

  Register

  Register Now to Access Maps!

  The 2024 winter just won't quit! While most of Arizona is desert, good winter snowpack and spring storms allows us Arizonans to enjoy the age old quest for spring morels.

  We get two types of morels in Arizona - those in the valleys and those in the mountains. Those in the valley grow in riparian areas (forests around streams) throughout Arizona where there are cottonwood trees in late March and April. Those in the mountains grow in recently burned areas from April through mid-June. 

  This year, due to the winter snowpack and regular spring storms, we have created 15 additional maps of recently burned areas and are once again providing all of these maps for free to AMS members.

  
  

  When conditions are right, burn morels can grow in large numbers in recently burned areas. They grow in habitat ranging from Ponderosa pine forests to higher elevation spruce-fir vegetation. Since they grow from tree roots, they can only be found in areas with these trees. The fruiting of morel mushrooms can be triggered by wildfires, so having a good map of recent wildfire boundaries is a key resource for having a successful hunt.

  Those that grow in the lower elevations along streams with cottonwoods are much more rare, always scarce, and do not occur in burned areas. The "riparian morels" are often found earlier in the season and only for a few weeks. When they are found, there are rarely more than a few. Like the burn morels, finding and searching out their habitat is the best way to find them.

  Hunting the Arizona morels is VERY challenging. You will need to consider key factors of the locations you are looking such as slope, aspect, soil temperatures, tree species, and whether or not the area has been recently burned. To help with the latter, the Arizona Mushroom Society has created maps of recent wildfires that can be downloaded and used by Arizona Mushroom Society members for FREE via the Avenza Maps app. 
  

  All AMS members have access to our complete library of existing wildfire perimeter maps available to you from 2018 through 2023 wildfires to help you find morels.

  
  

  To access the free Arizona Mushroom Society Burn Morel library and for instructions on how to use these maps, please register for this event and an email with this information will be sent to you.

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• 2024 Annual Foray - August 16-18, 2024

  • Start
    16 Aug 2024
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    18 Aug 2024
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Alpine, AZ

  - Registration to be open in late June -

  
  

  Arizona Mushroom Society 2024 ANNUAL FORAY

  
  

  Mark your calendars for the August 16-18 Annual Foray in Alpine, Arizona in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The annual foray is our special opportunity to spend a weekend learning about, finding, talking about and even tasting wild Arizona fungi! 

  This event is still under development. If you have any interest in signing up to volunteer for planning or at the event, please let us know!

  EVENT DESCRIPTIONS

  Wild Mushroom Forays

  Group forays are your opportunity to go on a 1-2 mile hike with an Arizona Mushroom Society foray leader to find and identify wild mushrooms. We are planning for small group forays to occur morning and afternoon for all three days of the event (except for Sunday morning which is when we have the Table Talk).

  You and any guest must be registered to attend forays. You may register up to 3 guests. Anyone attending a foray must be registered.  

  Foray participants can only register for one foray between August 16-18. We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to get to attend a foray. There will be opportunities to sign-up for additional forays during the event. Additional foray opportunities will be posted on a first come, first service basis at the Alpine Community Center the Friday and Saturday evenings prior to the next day forays.

  

  After you register for a foray, you will receive a registration confirmation email. Foray meet-up locations will be emailed to registrants by August 13th, before the event. No refunds available for cancellations.
  

  The REGISTRATION button on the left side at the top of page is how you register for a group foray. Registration is expected to open in June 2024.

  VOLUNTEERING

  We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in helping setup and run the event. If interested, please contact us at azmushroomsociety@gmail.com

  KIDS AND PETS

  Kids and pets are allowed to attend AMS events, and must be under your supervision at all times. Most forays including walking 1-2 miles on uneven terrain often with downed logs and steep slopes, which is difficult for toddlers and small dogs. Most forays are within the abilities of children 5-6 years old. Very young children will need to be carried, as most forays would not accommodate a stroller or other such mobile device. Children above 15 years old should be registered. Dogs that are friendly and can get over logs in the woods generally do well on forays but must be kept on a leash at all times.

  STUDY GUIDE

  Are you wondering what fungi you may find on the foray? Check out our iNaturalist project from last year's foray to see all of the fungi that other participants found!

  
  

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