Community celebrates fungi and fall at Mushroom Day 2025
Families and fungi fans gathered at Beazell Memorial Forest on Sunday, Nov. 9, for Mushroom Day 2025, an event that celebrates finding, identifying and cooking mushrooms.
The annual event, hosted by Corvallis Parks and Recreation, brought together partners from Benton County, Oregon State University, the Corvallis Environmental Center and The Mushroomery. Visitors explored mushroom identification, cooking demonstrations, forest walks, crafts and family-friendly activities at the Beazell Memorial Forest Education Center.
“Mushroom Day is a great way to celebrate the season and discover the hidden life of our forests,” said Jesse Ott, director of Benton County Natural Areas, Parks and Events. “Beazell Memorial Forest is a really special place. We learn together here, from looking at mushrooms under a microscope to going on hikes and getting people familiar with what to look for and how to enjoy fall mushrooming.”
Ott said the Beazell Education Center is a unique part of Benton County’s natural spaces. The timber used to build it was harvested and refurbished from the same site.
“We offer educational events, weddings, parties and conferences here,” he said. “It’s a really unique spot.”
Lacey Moore, recreation coordinator for environmental health, education and creative programs with Corvallis Parks and Recreation, said this year marked the sixth annual Mushroom Day.
“It started during the pandemic. People in Oregon love mushrooms, and we love mushrooms, so we made it an annual thing,” said Moore. “Now we have more partners like The Mushroomery, Oregon State and Benton County. I love this day. It’s a fun event, people are stoked to be out in the forest looking at mushrooms, and we’ve tried to make it more family friendly as time goes on. Now we have some mini-mycologists.”
Joey Spatafora, department head of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University and a mycologist, said the event is one of OSU’s most important outreach efforts each year.
“A big part of what we do at the university is outreach, and this is one of our major outreach programs of the year with respect to mycology,” Spatafora said. “I have a number of students here participating, and we just really enjoy interacting with the public, especially kids, getting them excited about fungi and mycology.”
Vendors and educators also shared their passion for mushrooms.
Jennifer Macome, owner of The Mushroomery, said she enjoys connecting with the community.
“I love supporting local events, especially educational ones,” said Macome. “We’re bringing the public in, getting them excited about mushrooms, taking them for walks in the woods, and showing them different wild mushrooms.”
At the Corvallis Environmental Center activity table, Evelia Verburg, nature programs and camp coordinator, said she loves helping kids get hands-on with learning.
“This is my second year coming to Mushroom Day, and I enjoy helping kids learn about mushrooms with fun activities like the one we have here today,” Verburg said.
Community members also came to learn. Danielle Silver, a Corvallis resident, said the event was a great way to start her foraging journey.
“I am a beginner forager, still learning how to identify mushrooms,” said Silver. “I just want to learn more.”
Organizers said this year’s event was another example of strong community collaboration.
“This event is a lot of teamwork,” Ott said. “We all just come together and make it happen.”
As mushroom hunting continues this fall, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office does remind everyone to be prepared before heading outdoors. The American Hiking Society recommends carrying ten essential items to help ensure your safety on the trail. Learn more about the essentials: https://americanhiking.org/resources/10essentials/
Mushroom Day was sponsored by Oregon State University, The Mushroomery, Corvallis Environmental Center, Benton County and Corvallis Parks and Recreation.
View downloadable photos from the event on the Benton County Flickr page.