Learn, explore & participate responsibly.

01

Purpose of AMS

Alabama Mushroom Society is an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people learn about mushrooms, their identification, uses, ecological importance, and scientific value.

AMS activities may include field trips, classes, meetings, demonstrations, online discussions, publications, citizen-science projects, festivals, and other educational or community programs.

Information provided through AMS is intended for education and community learning. It should be used together with appropriate personal judgment, additional resources, and expert guidance when the consequences of an error are significant.

02

Mushroom identification

Identifying mushrooms is a skill developed through observation, comparison, experience, appropriate references, and sometimes microscopy, chemical tests, sequencing, or other specialized methods.

AMS encourages members to learn from experienced identifiers and to become increasingly capable of making their own careful identifications.

Identifications offered during a foray, meeting, online discussion, photograph review, social-media conversation, or other AMS activity are educational opinions based on the information available at that time.

Some mushrooms cannot be identified reliably from a photograph or from incomplete specimens. Some species require examination of features that may not be visible or available.

03

Edibility & wild-food decisions

AMS supports responsible exploration of edible fungi. Learning new edible species from experienced people, comparing specimens with reliable resources, and understanding proper preparation are valuable parts of mushroom education.

However, no statement by AMS, an event leader, a volunteer, another member, or an online participant should be interpreted as a guarantee that a particular mushroom is safe for a particular person to consume.

Individuals vary in their reactions to foods. Mushrooms considered edible may still cause gastrointestinal upset, allergic reactions, or other individual responses. Some edible species require particular preparation, and some should not be consumed with certain substances or under particular circumstances.

The person choosing to prepare or consume a mushroom remains responsible for making that decision.

When you are learning a new edible species

AMS recommends learning from someone familiar with the species, examining the complete mushroom and relevant identifying features, understanding possible look-alikes, using appropriate references, and learning the preparation methods normally used for that species.

When trying an edible species for the first time, reasonable caution is appropriate even after the identification has been established.

04

Suspected mushroom poisoning

AMS websites, social-media groups, event leaders, volunteers, and members are not substitutes for professional medical care.

If you believe a person may have consumed a toxic mushroom, seek professional help promptly. In the United States, Poison Control can be reached at 1-800-222-1222. For a medical emergency, call 911.

When possible, preserve remaining mushrooms, photographs, cooked material, or other specimens that may help qualified identifiers or medical personnel determine what was consumed.

AMS members may sometimes assist poison-control personnel or medical professionals with mushroom identification, but treatment decisions belong to the appropriate healthcare professionals.

05

Field activities & outdoor hazards

AMS forays and other field activities take place in natural environments. Conditions may include uneven or slippery terrain, steep slopes, fallen trees, water crossings, heat, cold, storms, mud, insects, ticks, venomous animals, irritating or poisonous plants, traffic, hunting activity, and other hazards associated with outdoor recreation.

Conditions may also change during an event.

Each participant is responsible for evaluating their own abilities, health, equipment, clothing, hydration, footwear, transportation, and willingness to participate in the conditions encountered.

Participants should tell the event leader if they are leaving a group early rather than simply disappearing from the outing.

Event leaders

AMS leaders may provide directions, describe known conditions, establish meeting points, set boundaries, change routes, or give other instructions intended to help an outing operate safely and effectively.

Participants are expected to follow reasonable event instructions. An event leader may ask someone to stop an unsafe activity or leave an AMS event when their conduct presents a significant problem for the group, property owner, or activity.

06

Children & family participation

AMS welcomes children at activities that are appropriate for families unless an event description says otherwise.

A parent, guardian, or responsible accompanying adult remains responsible for the supervision, behavior, safety, and decisions of a minor participant.

An AMS event leader should not be assumed to be providing individual childcare or supervision simply because a child is participating in an event.

07

Property, access & collecting

Different properties have different rules regarding access, parking, collecting, removal of natural materials, group activities, permits, and hours of operation.

Participation in an AMS event does not give a participant permission to return to private property later, enter areas outside the event boundaries, or collect mushrooms where collecting is prohibited.

Participants must follow instructions from landowners, land managers, park personnel, event leaders, and applicable laws or regulations.

Collect thoughtfully

Where collecting is permitted, AMS encourages responsible collecting. Take what is useful for identification, study, documentation, or reasonable personal use rather than collecting indiscriminately.

Unusual or scientifically valuable specimens may be worth documenting or preserving as voucher specimens rather than simply taking them home.

08

Event registration & changes

Some AMS events require advance registration, membership, payment, limited attendance, waivers, special equipment, or other conditions described in the event listing.

AMS may modify, postpone, relocate, or cancel an event because of weather, property access, leader availability, safety concerns, mushroom conditions, enrollment, or other practical circumstances.

Participants are responsible for reviewing the current event information and communications associated with their registration.

09

Website & educational content

The AMS website may contain identification guides, photographs, maps, educational articles, event information, historical records, species information, links, and other resources.

We try to provide useful and accurate information, but fungi, taxonomy, scientific knowledge, regulations, property rules, event information, and external resources can change.

AMS does not guarantee that every page will always be complete, current, error-free, or appropriate for a particular decision.

Scientific names & taxonomy

Mushroom names and taxonomic concepts change as scientific understanding develops. Older AMS materials may therefore use names that have since changed.

10

External resources

AMS may link to parks, scientific databases, publications, identification resources, social media, partner organizations, retailers, government agencies, or other independent websites.

A link does not mean AMS controls or guarantees the accuracy, availability, products, practices, or policies of the outside resource.

11

Photographs & contributed content

AMS uses photographs, observations, educational materials, and other content to document and promote the society's educational activities.

Members and participants should not submit material to AMS that they do not have the right to share.

Unless otherwise stated, photographs and original materials published by AMS should not be assumed to be free of copyright or available for unrestricted commercial reuse.

12

Conduct at AMS activities

AMS exists so people can learn, explore, and share an interest in fungi. Participants are expected to behave in a way that allows other people to do the same.

Behavior that seriously interferes with an event, threatens another participant, damages property, violates access rules, or creates an unreasonable safety problem may result in removal from the activity or other action by AMS leadership.

13

No medical, legal, or other professional advice

AMS educational materials and discussions are not a substitute for medical, legal, veterinary, environmental-regulatory, or other professional advice when those services are appropriate.

In particular, mushroom identification assistance should not be confused with medical diagnosis or treatment.

14

Personal responsibility & ordinary risk

Participation in outdoor recreation, mushroom collecting, wild-food preparation, and other AMS activities involves decisions and risks that cannot be eliminated by an organization or event leader.

By choosing to participate, individuals accept responsibility for evaluating those ordinary risks and for their own actions and decisions.

Nothing in these terms is intended to excuse conduct for which liability cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

15

Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Alabama Mushroom Society, its directors, officers, volunteers, event leaders, and representatives are not responsible for losses or injuries resulting from a participant's independent decisions concerning mushroom consumption, collecting, outdoor activity, property access, use of educational information, or failure to follow reasonable instructions.

This provision is intended to reflect the practical limits of a volunteer educational organization. It is not intended to eliminate any responsibility that applicable law does not permit AMS to limit.

16

Privacy

AMS's collection and use of personal information is described separately in our Privacy Policy.

Participation in certain activities may require information necessary for registration, membership, payment, communication, or event administration.

17

Changes to these terms

AMS may update these terms as the society's activities, website, programs, or operational needs change.

The current version will be posted on this page with its most recent update date.