Radical Mycology radmycology@gmail.com

www.radicalmycology.com10130 SE 134th Ave Happy Valley, OR 97086

360.561.5612

About Radical Mycology 2

About The Radical Mycology Tour 3

Presentations & Workshops Offered 4

Press Release 5

One Sheet 6

Reviews & Press 7

Frequently Asked Questions 8

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Table of Contents

Mycology: The study of fungal biology.

Radical Mycology: The study and practice of working with fungi to create positive personal, societal, and ecological change at the root level.

Radical Mycology is an organization and grassroots movement that teaches a social philosophy in which mushrooms and other fungi are seen as role models and allies in the struggle for social and environmental justice. Founded in 2006 in Olympia, WA, Radical Mycology provides important and tangible mycological informa-tion—traditionally inaccessible to the general public due to economic, cultural, and educational barriers —in an inclusive and open-source way. Radical Mycology differs from classical mycology in that classical mycology has generally focused on isolated aspects of mycology (e.g. taxonomy, identification, edibility, etc.)—often with an emphasis on the personal benefits of such studies—while Radical Mycology applies a holistic approach to working with fungi for the benefit of larger communities and the Earth.

As a concept, Radical Mycology is based on the belief that the lifecycles of fungi and their interactions in nature serve as powerful learning tools for how humans can best relate to each other and their ecosystems. We see this connection as an extension of “radical” or “deep” ecology, which considers all beings as having an inherent value and interdependence, regardless of their economic value.

The fungal kingdom is incredibly diverse, complex, and integral to the healthy functioning of nearly any ecosys-tem. Fungi also provide powerful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. Food and water scarcity, chronic disease, sustainable energy, as well as environ-mental destruction and pollution are all issues that fungi are well suited to address. However, the average person knows next to nothing about these incredible organisms. This massive educational blind spot thereby hinders any individual or collective effort toward sustainability, self-sufficiency, or environmental protection. Radical Mycology presents mycological information in an easy to understand way that supports a union between citizen science and popular movements. With such em-powering mycological knowledge, anyone can learn to

ally with fungi to heal themselves, their society, and their world. Through the use of fungi to enact change, Rad-ical Mycology challenges commonly held assumptions about the importance of the fungal kingdom in an effort to help shift the world’s relationship with the fungi—and the Earth in general—toward greater understanding and resilience. We believe that the roles that fungi play in nature are exemplary natural models to “biomimic” in the organizing of any group, society, or nation.

As an organization, Radical Mycology has spawned sev-eral major projects. This October, the 3rd Radical Mycol-ogy Convergence (RMC) will be held in Orangeville, IL. The RMC is a volunteer-run, donation-based gathering that teaches skills and concepts related to working with fungi to create positive societal and ecological change. The Radical Mycology Book is currently in production and is to be released this fall. The Radical Mycology website continues to grow as a free resource database of original literature and videos on the numerous ways to work with fungi for food sovereignty, medicine creation, ecological restoration, mycopermaculture, community building, and creating resilient/sustainable lifestyles. Lastly, the Radical Mycology website also serves as a meeting place and networking tool for like-minded ama-teur mycologists and bioremediators.

Lessons from the fungal kingdom guide Radical Mycol-ogy’s approach to teaching, presenting, and organizing events. Taking a grassroots (or mycelial) approach to framing discussions and presenting social concepts, Radi-cal Mycology is able to engage and inspire their audiences and allies.

Radical Mycology is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to educating the world on the pos-itive benefits of the fungal kingdom for personal, societal, and ecological health.

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About Radical Mycology

The Radical Mycology Collective is spreading its spores on a tour across North America!

This fall, the Radical Mycology tour will share a unique approach to understanding the important role that fungi play in creating positive personal, societal and ecological transformation. Mushrooms can address many pressing global issues, and as awareness of fungi grows, people around the world are seeking accessible knowledge on how to work with these incredible organisms. The 2014 Radical Mycology tour will present numerous mycolog-ical skills for people of all backgrounds in a practical and accessible way. Sharing a range of workshops and re-sources on the value of fungi, this tour will build a stron-ger and more diverse mycelial network of like-minded mushroom lovers, activists, and citizen scientists.

The mid-point of the Radical Mycology tour will be the third Radical Mycology Convergence (RMC). Held in Orangeville, IL from October 9th to the 13th, the RMC is a unique, multi-day, donation-based gathering that teaches numerous skills related to cultivating and allying with the fungi. The RMC is unlike anything else in the mycological world in both its structural model and its approach to working with the fungal kingdom as an ally and not as a resource.

The book Radical Mycology, to be released this fall, will provide the insights and skills developed during Radical Mycology’s successful eight-year history. Rad-ical Mycology covers a wide range of topics related to mycology--some traditional, some very cutting edge and some controversial. As mycology is one of the youngest and fastest-growing natural sciences, much has yet to be explored in the field, and radical approaches to studying fungi may very well lead to incredible and catalyzing discoveries.

For more information on the RMC visit:www.radicalmycologyconvergence.com

2014 Radical Mycology Tour Schedule*

Aug. 15-19 Telluride, CO Aug. 20 Denver, CO Aug. 21-22 Taos, NM Aug. 23 Albuquerque, NM Aug. 25 Austin, TX Aug. 27 New Orleans, LA Aug. 29 Gainesville, FL Aug. 31 Atlanta, GA Sept. 2 Asheville, NC Sept. 4 Richmond, VA Sept. 5 Washington, D.C. Sept. 6 Baltimore, MD Sept. 7 Philadelphia, PA Sept. 8-9 New York City, NY Sept. 13-14 Amherst, MA Sept. 15 Boston, MA Sept. 16 Portland, ME Sept. 18 Montreal, QC Sept. 21 Toronto, ON Sept. 23 Rochester, NY Sept. 25 Detroit, MI Sept. 27-28 Traverse City, MI Sept. 29-30 Chicago, IL Oct. 3-5 Orangeville, IL Oct. 9-13 Orangeville, IL Oct. 15 Winona, MN Oct. 16 Minneapolis, MN Oct. 21 Butte, MT Oct. 22 Missoula, MT Oct. 24 Spokane, WA Oct. 25-26 Vancouver, BC Oct. 27 Seattle, WA Oct. 28 Olympia, WA Oct. 29 Portland. OR Oct. 30 Eugene, OR Nov. 1-2 Redding, CA Nov. 3-4 Arcata, CA Nov. 5 Sebastopol, CA Nov. 6 Oakland, CA Nov. 7 Santa Cruz, CA

*Dates and locations may be subject to change

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About The Radical Mycology Tour

Radical Mycology:Spawning Mycelial NetworksA 2-hour presentation on the uses of fungi for personal, societal, and ecological healing. Concepts of fungal ecolo-gy and mushroom cultivation are tied with the means for creating resilient lifestyles and communities to present a novel worldview based on the cooperative relationships found throughout the fungal kingdom.

Radical Mushroom CultivationA 2-hour introductory presentation on the theory & practice behind simple mushroom cultivation indoors or in the garden.

Cheap & Easy Mushroom Growing for Food, Medicine, and RemediationAn 8-hour workshop covering the core skills needed to start growing “mushroom to mushroom” year round. The-oretical concepts and practical skills are covered in-depth and include various ways to cheaply grow mushrooms and their mycelium.

Radical MycopermacultureAn 8-hour hands-on workshop covering a variety of ways to integrate fungi into a more sustainable and resilient lifestyle. From the garden, to the kitchen, to the bath-room, we will cover a number of methods to reduce waste and close loops around the home. Topics covered include growing mushrooms in the garden or on the farm, wa-ter catchment and filtration systems, vermicomposting and mushrooms, mycorrhizal fungi cultivation, growing mushrooms on garbage, and much more.

Putting the Fun in Fungi:Mushrooms for Kids of All AgesWhat do mushrooms eat? What does it mean to be a decomposer? How can we work with mushrooms to clean water and soil? Come find out through a hands-on activity where we will make mushroom growing kits that you can take home! Join us as we play games, act out ecological roles and explore the amazing world of forest fungi. The length of this workshop is flexible, and it can be tailored to different age groups.

Spawning a Mycelial Network:How to Start and Maintain a SuccessfulOrganization through MycomimicryLearning how to grow mushrooms is an important skill, but if we want to have successful collaborative mycolog-ical projects, its essential to learn some basic organizing skills. The good news is that fungal communities can teach us a lot about human communities, from creating a spore of inspiration to building symbiotic relationships. This 2-hour workshop will provide insights into the art of grassroots community organizing for people of all skill levels through the mycelial lens.

Mushroom ID for a Healthier Planet A participatory, field-based workshop, covering core skills for mushroom identification. We will observe fungi in their natural settings and explore their complex relation-ships with other organisms, including humans. Present-ers will show how this knowledge can be used to increase personal and community resilience, through foraging for food and medicine, while monitoring for endangered species and preserving threatened habitats. As we discuss ethical harvesting practices, cultivation potential, and more, participants will come to understand the roles that fungi play in symbiosis, succession, and regeneration.

Radical Medicinal MushroomsA 2-hour presentation and demonstration covering the history of medicinal mushrooms, a variety of medicinal mushroom species and their uses, and methods of proper-ly preparing your own medicinal mushroom products.

The Sex Life of MushroomsA performance lecture incorporating music, spoken word and movement. A juicy, in depth, innuendo laden personi-fication of the life cycle of basidiomycete mushrooms, plus ideas about gender politics, mating types, mate sensing molecules, evolutionary advantages of sexual diversity, mushrooms as fertility symbols, fungal ecology and hu-man social relationships, and more.

For more workshop info visit:www.radicalmycology.com/tour

For individuals and organizations interested in hosting Radical Mycology this fall to help spread its spores, we are offering the following workshops during our 2014 tour.

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Presentations & Workshops Offered

For immediate release

ContactPeter McCoy / Radical Mycology10130 SE 134th AveHappy Valley, Or 97086 (360) 561-5612radmycology@gmail.comradicalmycology.com

Radical Mycology Announces North American Tour to Educate Public About Use of Mushrooms for Environmental and Human Health

Radical Mycology is a volunteer-based organization and grassroots movement dedicated to educating the world on the positive benefits of the fungal kingdom for personal, societal, and ecological health. This fall, Radical Mycology is going on a North American tour to promote their upcoming book Radical Mycology, the third Radical Mycology Conver-gence, and to hold presentations and workshops on the skills and theories behind the Radical Mycology movement.

Since 2006, Radical Mycology has been on the leading edge of the study and application of mushrooms and other fungi for ecological restoration, environmental protection and sustainability. Recent discoveries have helped fuel the popular-ity of this field. Mushrooms have been found to degrade oil and a wide array of petrochemicals; fungi have been dis-covered that can eat plastic; they can filter toxins from water; and fungi can be used in gardens and farms to build soil, increase drought tolerance, and turn waste products into food and medicine. The upcoming book Radical Mycology shares information on these topics and more, serving as an in-depth toolbox of mycological skills and insights.

Weaving together concepts found in social justice movements, systems theory, and sustainability paradigms, the book Radical Mycology depicts a novel perspective that empowers the reader to embrace the fungi as a long forgotten ally. As mycology is one of the youngest and fastest-growing natural sciences, much has yet to be explored in the field and radical approaches to studying fungi may very well lead to incredible and catalyzing discoveries.

The mid-point of the Radical Mycology tour will be the third Radical Mycology Convergence (RMC), which will be held in Orangeville, IL from October 9th to the 13th. The RMC is a unique, multi-day, volunteer-run, and dona-tion-based gathering that teaches numerous skills related to cultivating and allying with the fungi.

“Our goal is to build a grassroots movement and network of people that work with fungi as allies in their efforts for a more sustainable and ecologically just future,” says Radical Mycology co-founder Peter McCoy.

Touring with a wide array of mushroom cultivation supplies and educational materials, experienced members of Rad-ical Mycology will give informative, engaging workshops on a variety of mycological topics suitable for everyone from children to professional mycologists.

“Our past educational events, such as the Radical Mycology Convergences, have been very well attended and support-ed. People are ready for powerful solutions to environmental problems that they can practice in their backyards, with or without the support of big institutions. We’re very excited to be taking the next step towards making these solutions a reality all over the US and the world,” says Radical Mycology co-founder Maya Elson.

The 2014 Radical Mycology tour will further empower people with the skills and information they need to work with the fungi to create positive and lasting change.

For more information, please visit: www.radicalmycology.com/tourwww.radicalmycologyconvergence.com5

Since 2006, Radical Mycology has been on the cutting edge of the study and application of mushrooms and other fungi for ecological restoration, environmental protection, social justice and resilient living. Radi-cal Mycology is a volunteer-based organization and grassroots movement dedicated to sharing the many methods of working with fungi to help tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. This fall, the Radical Mycology Collective is going on a cross continent tour to share the skills and theories behind the Radical Mycology movement.

The Radical Mycology ConvergenceThe 3rd Radical Mycology Convergence will take place October 9-14 2014 in Orangeville, IL. This unique, donation-based gathering shares skills and information on the numer-ous benefits of the fungal kingdom for humans and the planet.

The Radical Mycology BookThe upcoming book Radical Mycology will be re-leased in the fall of 2014. By weaving the most exciting and recent mycological discoveries with concepts found in social justice movements and systems theo-ry, Radical Mycology depicts a novel perspective of working with fungi as an ally in creating positive social change. As an in-depth toolbox of mycological skills and insights, Radical Mycology presents numerous ways to pracially grow and work with fungi in an increasingly challenging world.

Radical MycologySpawning Mycelial Networks

radicalmycology.com/tour radmycology@gmail.com

Interested in hosting an event with us?Send us an email us atradmycology@gmail.com

Interested in attending an event? Visit our website for tour dates and workshop descriptions.

The Radical Mycology Collective is spreading its spores on a tour across North America!

Reviews & Praise

I can easily say that Radical Mycology has enriched my life and introduced me to some of the most compassion-ate and intelligent people I have ever met. At the 1st and 2nd Radical Mycology convergence I was blown away by the rich offering of information from a wide variety of highly educated and experienced facilitators. I look forward to the great work that will be done at the up and coming 3rd Radical Mycology Convergence, and what fruiting bodies will be born of this fertile event.

Ava ArvestOlympia Mycelial Network member

Maya Elson’s presentation on Radical Mycology was mega educational in looking at the many awesome appli-cations for fungi. Her emphasis on utilizing the adapt-ability of fungi to remediate soils and waterways sent a powerful message in addressing the toxic wastelands left behind by the meat and fossil fuel industries. I felt empowered with practical, DIY, cultivation techniques, and a sense of responsibility to grow spawn for remedia-tion projects. My mind was blown to bits with the idea of giving fungi a cozy home with plenty of substrate, its digestive enzymes will adapt to consuming any funky sub-stance. This is being demonstrated with the oil digester Maya designed.

Hearing about the several inspiring projects going on across the country, I see the Radical Mycology movement mimicking the ways mycelium network with the forest to create a strong grassroots movement in healing the Earth. I left the event that evening with a fatty, hopeful grin on my face, and I am stoked for the making of the Radical Mycology book!

Erica Schroeder,Permaculture and Mycological Designer, Berkeley, CA

Even the experts are likely to find some real gems in Peter’s techniques, philosophy, and teaching style. Peter is one of the most authentically passionate people I have met, and it was an absolute pleasure to learn from him.

Josh W. Mushroom cultivator, Victoria, BC

Recent Interviews & Press

Female & Fungi – Nov. 13, 2013“Womyn of the Month”http://bit.ly/rmfandf

Nation Swell - Dec. 26, 2013http://bit.ly/rmnsvid

Vice’s Motherboard– Jan. 6, 2014“The Revolutionary Power of Shrooms: Talking Radical Mycology with Peter McCoy” http://bit.ly/rmmotherboard

The Visionary Activist Show on KPSA – Feb. 28, 2014http://bit.ly/rmtvas

Radical Mycology featured in the documentaryFungiphilia Risinghttp://bit.ly/fungirise

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Reviews & Press

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What is the Radical Mycology Collective?The Radical Mycology Collective is the main organiz-ing body behind the Radical Mycology movement. The Radical Mycology Collective supports the growth of this growing grassroots movement. The Radical Mycology Collective works transparently with all those invested in the Radical Mycology movement, using feedback and suggestions to help it grow as organically and powerfully as possible.

How did Radical Mycology take shape?The Radical Mycology project grew out of a shared vi-sion between two friends, Maya Elson and Peter McCoy. In 2006, Peter and Maya met in Olympia, WA through various activist projects related to environmental protec-tion and social organizing. The two soon found they also shared both an interest in mycology and a recognition that their common love for fungi played an important, yet unrecognized role in various forms of activist work. Their shared ideas were eventually put into print in a zine (pam-phlet) entitled “Radical Mycology.” In 2011, they joined with others to organize the first Radical Mycology Con-vergence. Since then, Radical Mycology has continued to evolve and grow around the world.

How many people are in Radical Mycology?The Radical Mycology movement is open-source, mean-ing that we share information and resources as freely as possible with like-minded collaborators. Anyone that shares our vision of working with fungi to create a better world is free to join the Radical Mycology network. Rad-ical Mycology is non-discriminatory and actively seeks to build diversity and community amongst those involved.

Why are fungi important?Considering that fungi are so central and crucial to the health of every ecosystem on the planet, it is incredible that the vast majority of people know very little about these incredible organisms. Fungi are responsible for an estimated 90% of all decomposition on Earth. They play an integral role in the cycling of carbon, minerals, nitrogen, and other elements in nature. Fungi channel nutrients to plants, decompose toxic chemicals, protect plants against disease, and remove heavy metals from con-taminated water and soil systems. Many animals rely on the fungi for food and shelter. Humans have worked with fungi for thousands of years as a source of sustenance, medicine, tools, and social and spiritual health. The recent Western surge in fascination with fungi has cre-ated a new wave of mycological discovery that is leading to increasingly diverse means of working with fungi for environmental restoration, waste management, and even more efficient forms of building insulation. The future of mycology looks to only further expand our currently limited understanding of the complex and dynamic fungal potential lying just beneath the soil surface.

Where does Radical Mycology generally hold presentations and workshops?All over! We have presented at universities, book stores, infoshops, community spaces, conferences on food, envi-ronmental and social justice issues, as well as at numerous permaculture, mycological, and community building events. Local Radical Mycology groups work with a vari-ety of public and volunteer organizations.

What reaction do you get from people learning about Radical Mycology for the first time?The vast majority of our audiences are blown away when they learn of the multi-dimensional relationships found in working with the fungal kingdom. We’ve heard many times that our events are “life-changing” and “fascinating.” We have also been told that our approach to teaching mycology is well-organized and easy to understand in contrast to the highly academic approach taken by many presenters.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What does Radical Mycology’s future hold?After the North American Radical Mycology tour, the Radical Mycology Collective will be heading to Europe in the spring of 2015 to spread its knowledge and skills further around the globe. We will continue to build a network of fungal allies through our events and website, releasing future publications and educational materials while organizing regional and international Radical My-cology Convergences.

How can someone get involved with RadicalMycology?Send an email to radmycology@gmail.com and let us know how you’d like to help. We are currently looking for volunteers for the next Radical Mycology Convergence, which will take place October 9-14 in Orangeville, IL. Lo-cal Radical Mycology groups are growing all over North America. Information on how to start or join a group can be found at www.radicalmycology.com.

Frequently Asked Questions (cont.)

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