Alabama Mushroom Society |
MEET OUT LEADERSHIP
Board Members
These are our elected officials who guide AMS and make larger decisions. Typically these are administrative roles.
- President: Alisha Millican
- Vice President: Anthoni Goodman
- Treasurer: Spencer Lowry
- Secretary: Cassie Pugh
Meet Our Board
President, Alisha Millican
Board Member, Foray Leader Alisha grew up hiking and exploring the woods of NE Ohio before moving south running from the snow. She has always had an interest in wild edibles, gardening and everything outdoors. In 2017 she received her Master Gardener certification which furthered her interest in collecting wild edibles. After discovering the Alabama Mushroom Society, she has delved more specifically into fungi identification and is constantly broadening her knowledge of Alabama mushrooms. She hopes by encouraging interest in and educating people about mushrooms, she can help promote good stewardship of our wild places and our earth. In addition to leading AMS, she sits on the Executive Board of the North American Mycological Association, has the pleasure of serving on NAMA's Vouchering Committee and Nominating Committee, is a volunteer coordinator with the Fungal Diversity Survey and has recently been appointed the Assistant Curator of Fungi for the University of West Alabama Herbarium. Alisha lives in Cullman County, Alabama with her husband and two young kids. When she isn't hunting for or studying mushrooms, she enjoys backpacking, practicing primitive skills, and gardening. | Vice President,
Board Member, Foray Leader Anthoni Goodman has been fascinated by mushrooms since a trip to Alaska during the rainy season at age 7, inundated with smoky puffballs, white-dotted Amanita, spongy boletes, and an Agaricus as large as his torso. This was an environment teeming with life that was absent in his desert hometown of Phoenix. Years later in college, he was delighted to hear that edible mushrooms grew on the mountains around Flagstaff AZ. It was then that he was introduced to the Arizona Mushroom Society and began to casually find and identify those choice mushrooms of the West. A couple laundry bins full of lobsters and a literal truck bed full of black fire morels later and he left Arizona for Alabama to complete his Doctorate in Behavior Neuroscience. Alabama is where a hobby became an obsession. A microscope, new camera, several baskets, and starting a club later and here we are. Anthoni’s interests in mushrooms are varied and include tracking down elusive rare species, photography, mycophagy, documentation and species mapping, and the excitement of finding something new, pristine, or otherworldly, and of course sharing this excitement with anyone and everyone. | Secretary, Cassie Pugh
Board Member, Foray Leader Cassie is an avid outdoorswoman who grew up immersed in the natural beauty of the Southeastern United States, developing a deep love for nature while hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting with her father from a very young age. Her passion and talent for fly tying led her to travel across the country, demonstrating her skills at various fly fishing conventions. After a few years of living out West, she returned to her roots in Alabama, where she now resides with her husband and three children on their family land. While she doesn’t tie flies anymore, Cassie's love for nature endures. She hikes almost daily, accompanied by her dogs or family, and finds joy in studying and photographing the fascinating fungi, flora, and fauna that inhabit their land. She noticed her intense interest in fungi began in the spring of 2020 when she found morels on her land and joined the Alabama Mushroom Society. When she’s not with her family or exploring nature, you’ll find her immersed in one of her other interests like psychology, history, art, philosophy, or anthropology. | Treasurer, Spencer Lowery
Spencer grew up in Central Alabama surrounded by a forest; the woods are his home. He has always had an interest in the natural sciences since a child but started to specialize in mycology in 2017. His goal is to teach the younger generations and get them involved. Mycophobia is indoctrinated, and he would like to end the cycle by educating others. AMS offers a platform to do this type of work. Fungi are useful, whether that be culinary, medically, or environmentally. Spencer just wants to show people this without it being convoluted with pop science, pseudo-medicine or mycophobia. Spencer is currently working on developing taxonomy skills to be able to give individuals proper information. |
FORAY LEADERS
Foray leaders do exactly that, lead forays, forages, or hikes. Foray leaders may not be experts, but can provide the guidance and enthusiasm to find fungi and get ID nailed down using a variety of resources.
These are the folks that are running forays for Alabama Mushroom Society. Our foray leaders will always conduct themselves in a professional manner, while educating and making every one feel welcome.
Baldwin County Kat Williams: a lifelong nature enthusiast whose love for the outdoors has led her around the globe to hike, forage, and explore. She is a published writer and poet who often finds inspiration in the forest and nestled in the crooks of decaying trees. Her adventures led her to pursue her budding interests in fungi and botany. She looks forward to making new friends and hunting mushrooms together every month at the Baldwin County Foray!
Cullman County Cassie Pugh: Secretary of the Alabama Mushroom Society Cassie loves leading forays in Cullman County. She is especially fond of teaching kids about mushrooms and answering their 501 questions regarding all things fungi. Read her full bio above. Jessica Jackson: Tallapoosa County Becca Mahoney: I am a foray leader and previous secretary for the Alabama Mushroom Society. I grew up here in central Alabama. Hunting, foraging and fishing with my parents was as normal to me as shopping at the grocery store. Cooking has always been a passion of mine. Being able to add wild harvested mushrooms to our table has been a joy. The almost daily discovery of new fungi keeps me excited about learning. I love meeting the people that come to our Tallapoosa county forays. Sharing experiences and learning with them is truly a pleasure. Jefferson County Spencer Lowery: I am the treasurer of the Alabama Mushroom Society and the Foray Leader for Jefferson County. Having grown up in Blount County, I have moved back to the area after living for a time away and am reinvigorated to teach about the fungi that occur in our area. I am especially interested in teaching young people and fostering their interest in mycology.
Jesse Azobek: From the moment Jesse took his first bite of bread made from acorns he foraged in his own backyard, he was hooked! Since then, there are not many moments you won't find him outside in woods and fields looking for wild food and herbs. He loves teaching as much as foraging itself! Jesse runs the online educational foraging platform Feral Foraging, which you can find on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. We are excited to get to collaborate with Feral Foraging for some classes and forays throughout the year.
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Other Notable Individuals
Founder, Anthoni Goodman
Anthoni Goodman founded this organization to foster interest in our diverse fungi and to build an educational and social club for all of us mycophiles! He attended Northern Arizona University where he earned his masters in Clinical Psychology and where he was fortunate enough to become a member of a very active Mushroom Society in Arizona. He moved to Birmingham for his PhD work in Neuroscience, where he missed that very particular type of social club and decided to make one for the great state of Alabama! His interest in fungi is primarily based on a general study of their morphology, distribution, ecological niche, and of course value as an addition to his dinner plate. He hopes this page and society bring, visitors and members alike, the resources and social support they need to dive head first into this fascinating hobby! He has, to our great loss, moved north to Pennsylvania, but continues to support AMS by contributing to projects and offering his advise and guidance. Update: Anthoni Will be moving back to Birmingham in late Summer 2024! | Founding Member, Tim Pfitzer
Foray leader and guru of all things wild food, Tim Pfitzer played a pivotal role in establishing the Alabama Mushroom Society. He plays a major role in us putting on our annual Morel Foray and our annual Chanterelle Foray. He has a passion for wild foods since he was very young and loves to share that passion with anyone who has a desire to learn. |
