Jess Starwood is an established author, chef, herbalist and educator. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine and Holistic Nutrition and is currently working on a doctorate of science in Integrative Health.

In 2021, she wrote and photographed her first book, Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi.

She also writes regularly for Edible Ojai & Ventura County, Edible San Fernando magazines and The Mycophile—the publication of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA).

Jess founded The Wild Path School where she teaches foraging, wild foods, herbalism and nature education classes for adults and children. She is a member of the Culinary Committee for NAMA and is on the board of directors for the Arizona Mushroom Society and the newsletter editor for the Los Angeles Mycological Society. She has also worked as a wild food consultant and forager for Michelin starred chefs Niki Nakayama and Aitor Zabala. Jess has been featured in National Geographic, The Guardian, and the Orange County Register.

Todd Spanier is known by many to be a kind, considerate, and passionate person, but he is better known as the "King of Mushrooms." Todd is a well-known figure within the food industry, and is considered to be a pioneer of the "sustainable" and "wild food" movements in California. Todd's company, King of Mushrooms, has been an essential and valued purveyor of wild foods for hundreds of local restaurants and businesses for almost twenty years. King of Mushrooms has helped create a community of local chefs, farmers, and foragers whose dedication to sustainable food assures that there is a steady supply of fresh, wild and exotic mushrooms as well as other choice edibles.In 1996, Todd founded King of Mushrooms, a purveyor of sustainable foods specializing in mushrooms, truffles, and other wild edibles. His company has become one of the top purveyors on the west coast thanks to excellent customer service, pricing, and quality products. King of Mushrooms loyal clientele, friends, and family are what keep King of Mushrooms thriving, and Todd's company is constantly evolving in efforts to become more efficient and green.

Todd is also a passionate advocate for food safety concerning wild foods that are harvested sustainably. Proper identification, which is extremely important when handling and consuming mushrooms is one of Todd's major concerns as well. Todd is a life-time member of the San Francisco Mycological Society, as well as many other fungus-focused groups such as the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. Todd also participates in many mushroom and truffle events throughout the year where he sells, lectures about, and identifies mushrooms for curious attendees. Todd is very knowledgeable and has traveled as far as Italy to give lectures on mushrooms and truffles, and is known as an expert in his field.

Todd has lived in the bay area his whole life and currently resides in San Mateo with his beautiful wife Cristina Spanier. They have been married for almost five years now, and Cristina's love and support has been a blessing for Todd. Cristina and Todd often hunt mushrooms together as husband and wife, and usually participate in mushroom events together. Foraging for wild mushrooms is Todd's birthright and is a major part of Todd's family heritage. Todd's family has been foraging for wild foods for more than three generations, and now Todd and Cristina are happy to continue this family legacy.

Harte Singer is a student at Cal State East Bay studying cell and molecular biology. He sits on the board of Bay Area Applied Mycology and has taught mycology workshops at Counter Culture Labs, a community science space in Oakland California. He is currently working with fungi to remediate Eucalyptus stumps with East Bay Municipal Utility District, as well as sequencing the whole genome of Omphalotus olivascens. His passion for mycology started during his 15-year career as a chef. Learning to forage edible mushrooms eventually led to an insatiable curiosity about all the ones that didn’t make it into the foraging basket. He began attending workshops at Counter Culture Labs where he learned how to do PCR, tissue culture, and microscopy of fungi from a cadre of renowned community scientists. He strives to inspire and teach other budding mycologists while he is learning from both academia and the community at large.

Anisha Kumra is an interior designer based in San Francisco. She completed the postgrad Interior Architecture/Interior Design program at UC Berkeley Extension and also holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston University. She is a passionate Citizen Scientist and an active member on Inaturalist.

Jonathan is a distinguished figure in the world of running, with a reputation built on passion, speed, and a relentless pursuit of adventure. As the esteemed leader of the Youngstown Mushroom Explorers on Facebook, he has established himself as an influential presence in the running community. Jonathan's infectious love for mushrooms and boundless energy have captivated audiences, making him a sought-after social media influencer.

Wilder Herbertson (THEY/THEM) spent the first part of their life on Slide Ranch, an environmental education center which uses food as the aperture through which the farm teaches ecological principals. There, they snacked as they walked, but in 2018 they started to integrate wild foods and medicines into their kitchen and home.

They have a specific interest in foraging mushrooms, and have been an active member of the Sonoma Mycological Association since September 2018, and of the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club since 2022. While foraging edible mushrooms was their doorway into the fungal kingdom, their interest quickly expanded to fungal ecological roles as a whole, dyeing fiber with mushrooms and lichens, and cloning and growing mushrooms at home.

They have a strong passion for a variety of ancestral skills, including fiber arts (spinning, weaving, knitting, and dyeing), hunting and butchering, and making cord from plant materials. They are also developing a personal practice around ancestral lineage healing and intentional animism work.

Elissa Callen is an ecological artist working with local plants and fungi to make natural inks and pigments she uses as the staple materials in her art practice. She holds a BFA in painting, has a professional background in horticulture, and nearly ten years of experience using natural, locally gathered materials sustainably for color. Her practice is informed by her research in California ecology and the impact invasive plant species have on native biodiversity.

She has taught with institutions throughout California including numerous mycological societies, Fibershed, Theodore Payne Foundation, Point Reyes National Seashore, and more. She believes in using her work with sustainable natural materials as a means of increasing community interest in environmentalism, preservation, and connectedness to the native landscape.

Billy Sprague is a professional mushroom hunter, foray leader, and multi-disciplinary artisan. He has been leading mushroom forays for locals and visitors alike since 2017. Billy lives on the Mendocino Coast with his beloved wife Valentine Falcon, and his trust Blue Heeler Alva the Mushroom Hound. He will be a foray leader on Saturday 10/9 and you can check out his stunning leatherwork, mushroom hunting knives, and handmade psychedelic collage art at our Foragers Fair on Sunday 12/10.