GSMS & BRMS

Foray & Tasting

WITH Logan Wiedenfeld, Tres Fisher & Steve Antrobus

On our first BRMS foray, Tres Fisher & Steve Antrobus found and recorded the first observation of the fungal species Gyrodontium sacchari in Louisiana-which was only seen a handful of times in the United States.

Not bad for the first BRMS foray!

According to iNaturalist and Mycology observer this would be the first record of this tropical species in Louisiana.  It has only been seen a handful of times in the United States in Florida and Mississippi by Logan Wiedenfeld.  

Join our local mycologists Steve Antrobus and Tres Fisher along with Logan Wiedenfeld, President of the Gulf South Mycological Society, in identifying mushrooms at the Burden Museum & Garden.

Jen Oliver & Yipin Johnson will cook up another special tasting of mushrooms. 

Logan Wiedenfeld, Adjunct Instructor

Logan was raised in southeast Texas and spent much of his youth fishing, hunting, and foraging in and along the marshes and mixed woods of the upper Texas Gulf Coast. While his interest in fungi didn’t develop until later, Logan was always fascinated by the flora and fauna surrounding him.  In 2011, he moved from Texas to Baton Rouge to pursue his Ph. D. in English Literature at Louisiana State University.  It was there, in the swamps and hardwood bottoms of the broader Baton Rouge area, that Logan’s interests as a naturalist broadened to encompass fungi. What began as an interest in foraging for the table quickly grew to a broader interest in fungal taxonomy and ecology. He has discovered several new species of mushroom, including Amanita batonrougensis and Amanita audubonensis, both of which were found in south Louisiana. 

He is a member of Gulf States Mycological Society and has led mushroom walks for the Louisiana Master Naturalists Group and BREC (Baton Rouge Recreation).  Professionally, Logan has taught as an instructor of English at LSU, as a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Tulane, and is currently an Assistant Professor of English at Alcorn State University in western Mississippi. He is married and has three children.

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When people who love wild mushrooms say "foray," they’re talking about organizing a group to go into the forest to look for fungi. The purpose of a foray can be to hunt for edibles, collect for scientific study, or look at the beauty and diversity of mushrooms.

A “foray” is essentially a field trip to collect wild mushrooms led by experienced mycologists. 

At a typical foray, people split into several groups directed by foray leaders who know the trails and good picking spots. After a few hours of picking, everyone gathers together and the bounty is showcased on a table, where one or more expert mycologists identify and label each specimen. Often a detailed examination of each mushroom ensues, including morphology, identification characteristics (e.g. color, texture, scent), ecology, taxonomy, et cetera. Forays provide a unique opportunity to experience the woods, offering a friendly and supportive atmosphere to learn how to identify and collect mushrooms.