Feb. 21 and 22 is the weekend of the inaugural Russian River Fungi Fest, a free celebration of West Sonoma County’s exceptional fungal ecosystem.
The trees will sway under the sun and clouds; the river will trickle and slosh nearby. But more quietly, underneath, the mushrooms will find their own way to enjoy the party.
“A lot of people think it’s dead in the winter up here in West Sonoma County, but it’s actually one of the most beautiful times to visit our forests,” said Spencer Scott, one half of the husband-husband power couple that founded Solar Punk Farms, the organization behind the Fungi Fest. “Winter is mushroom season, and fungi are one of the most underappreciated and wonderful aspects of our local ecology.”
As I sit here sipping my adaptogenic mushroom coffee to write this article on a perfect Northern California day, I think the mushroom’s time has come. Too long left out of the life-on-Earth dyad, animals and plants, fungi are—as all school kids now know, but maybe few of us really understand—truly a different kind of being, one ancient and essential to the rest of life.
It excites the imagination. A whole other kingdom of life bustling through the ground and materials all around. And their way of being, the mushroom way to interact with the world, with the other beings living around it, might offer us some wisdom.
“We have the plant kingdom that brings the ultimate source of energy [through] photosynthesis, and the animal kingdom is all about productivity and mobility,” noted Nick Schwanz, the right brain of the Solar Punk Farms duo and president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce. “It’s the thing that closes the loop of those two kingdoms. Mycelium is the connector and the recycler.”
That is where we can learn from them. Zen Buddhism venerates the flexibility of the bamboo reed, and Taoism follows the lessons of water. What wisdom can we gain from listening to the mushroom?
“The fungal kingdom really is the one that makes that whole system into a loop,” said Schwanz. “They are decomposing and moving things around and making sure all of it is connected.”
“One of the reasons we wanted to host Fungi Fest was to show our love for our subterranean friends who transform decaying matter into delicious treats,” added Schwanz. “What little magicians.”
Safety, More Than Ever
At the Fungi Fest, the focus will be on safety. The rate of mushroom poisoning among foragers has reached historic levels this season, with a recent death in Sonoma County.
“No one should ever consume any mushroom that they aren’t 100% sure is safe,” advised Schwanz. “All our walks and foraging parties are led by experts who can identify and share safety protocols.”
Wait, by gathering together, we can share safety information across groups and individuals? So mycological.
“It is important to gather community around mushrooms so [we] can be safely curious with what mushrooms pop up after it rains,” said local mushroom maven Brandi Kowalski. She noted that her contribution at the event will be to “showcase all of the benefits mushrooms can bring to our lives medicinally, culinarily, scientifically.”
“Be sure to stop by the Mushroom ID display table” at Mushroom Market, she added. “Please bring whatever mushrooms you’d like to be identified, and we will do our best.”
A Movement?
Why “solar punk,” the optimism optimizing movement bubbling among creatives around the globe from which the farm took its name?
Scott calls solar punk “a genre of hopeful storytelling that imagines how we might use technology in service of ecological health and a political movement dedicated to turning our optimistic visions into reality.” That is why the festival was a fit. “We love that solar punk can both capture the imagination and get people motivated to take action,” Scott continued.
The Russian River Fungi Fest is being held at venues across Guerneville and the Russian River. Expect guided tours, mushroom talks, food, hyper-local craft products and artsy workshops on everything mushroom, from poetry and painting, to cooking and gardening and more.
First Annual Russian River Fungi Fest, Feb. 21-22, across multiple venues in Guerneville and West County. RSVP for specific events. Suggested donation of $15 (accessible to everyone). For more information and tickets, visit RussianRiverFungiFest.com.
