One of jD.'s most cherished pastimes during the past few years has been hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are countless trails in and around the UCSC campus, ranging from those that lead to the vast network of underground caves that run underneath campus, to the greuling but rewarding trek to the area that has been deemed the Dagobah Swamp.
Often a hike consists of a mushroom hunt, hopefully ending in a scrumptious feast of the often elusive prey. jD., along with his good friends Eldon, Lars and Eli have searched extensively for edible mushrooms and have become familiar with many of the traits that identify different species.
The 1995 Fungus Fair was recently held in San Francisco, sponsored by the Mycological Society of San Francisco. A huge variety of fungi was exhibited, all collected from the greater Bay Area. Everyone is hopeful that the coming forecast will spell out a wet winter, so new crops of fungi will be plentiful in the coming months.
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