After Dark: Wondrous Fungus

The fascinating qualities of fungi are manifold and sometimes mind-blowing. Tonight at After Dark, discover some fun facts about the beautiful, diverse, and curious fungus kingdom, including mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. Get up-close views of majestic microscopic fungi, see the surprising ways fungi can be used as art materials, and learn about some of the most exceptional types of fungi - as well as mycorrhiza, the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants.

Networks of Influence: Fungi Networks and Ecological Systems
With Julieta Alvarez Manjarrez
7:30 p.m.
Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6

The fungal kingdom is fascinating; in their search for food and nutrients, fungi eat and decompose most of the organic matter on our planet. They can also share these nutrients with friends, like plants, building complex networks below ground, which can have surprising and essential effects. Join Julieta Alvarez Manjarrez as she shares insights from her research on fungi within tropical ecosystems - and learn how fungal networks are affected by hurricanes. 

Julieta Alvarez Majarrez is a Mexican mycologist with experience working in tropical ecosystems. She is  currently a postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford’s Peay Lab, where she is working on the relationship between plant secondary metabolism and fungal communities in Amazonia.

DNA Deep Dive: Mushroom DNA Barcoding 
With Alan Rockefeller
8:30 p.m.
Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6

Get this: according to their DNA, mushrooms are more closely related to humans than to other plants. Join Alan Rockefeller for an overview of the process of mushroom DNA barcoding, including how to accurately sequence the DNA of various species and how to analyze the sequencing. And don’t miss Rockefeller’s stories of the most memorable things he’s uncovered about mushrooms through their DNA. 

Alan Rockefeller is a photographer, computer hacker, biohacker, and mushroom identification specialist who currently lives in Oakland, California. In 2001 he began his studies in the field of mycology, beginning with the collection of fungi in California. Each year since 2007 he has traveled to Mexico to collect mushrooms. Based on phylogenetic and microscopic analysis, he has identified several species not previously described in scientific literature. 

Fungus Among Us
With Simon Meyer
6:30, 7:30, 8:30 p.m.
Moore Gallery 4, Explainer Station

Immerse yourself in a sensory exploration of our planet’s most versatile decomposers - join the Explainers as they dive into the weird, delicious, and suspicious world of fungi. Come marvel at the role fungi play in the balance of life and death.

Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast
With Christian Schwarz
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Moore Moore Gallery 4

See a plethora of recently collected fungi specimens - and learn about some of the magnificent traits each species boasts from Christian Schwarz, co-author of Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast.

Christian Schwarz is a naturalist interested in the diversity of living organisms in general, but the seemingly endless forms (whether grotesque, bizarre, or sublime) of fungi in particular stoke his curiosity. He spends most of his time teaching about natural history, collecting and photographing mushrooms, assembling an exhaustive mycoflora for Santa Cruz County, and exploring wilderness around the world. 

Home-Grown Mushrooms
With Far West Fungi
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Moore Gallery 4

Ever thought about growing your own mushrooms? Check in with the team from Far West Fungi to learn about the sustainable practice of mushroom farming from home. As long-time purveyors of mushroom-growing kits, Far West Fungi will answer your questions about how to grow mushrooms and share why home-grown mushrooms are an essential practice for sustainable cuisine.  

Founded and operated by the Garrone family, Far West Fungi is passionate about edible fungi. For more than 35 years they’ve been dedicated to the growing, distribution, and marketing of organic specialty mushrooms. 

Mushroom Dyes 
With Mayumi Fujio
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Moore Gallery 4

Mushroom dyeing is relatively new in natural dyeing history. Join Mayumi Fujio to learn and see how mushrooms can be used to have a beautiful and transformative effect on yarn, and maybe try your hand at the process. And see some of the works Mayumi has created using mushroom dyes.

Mayumi Fujio is a fiber artist working with natural dye, mushroom dye and botanical prints on different media. She harvests materials sustainably around San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The Art of Mushroom and Myxomycete Photography 
With Alison Pollack
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Moore Gallery 4

Get a close-up look at the intimate, intricate photographs of macro photographer Alison Pollack, who specializes in photographing Myxomycetes and tiny mushrooms barely visible to the naked eye. Searching out her subjects by crawling on the forest floor, magnifying glass in hand, she uses advanced photography techniques to show the incredible detail of these tiny organisms, most only a few millimeters tall. Her goal is to reveal these miniature beauties of the forest in a format that is as much art as science.

Tinkering School Mars Mission Q&A
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Bechtel Gallery 3

Tinkering School (TS), a San Francisco - based educational program dedicated to youth-centered making and tinkering, created Tinkering School Mars Mission as an Earth-bound program that maintains the accuracy and challenges of real Mars rover operations. Inspired by (but not associated with) NASA’s Mars missions, the TS team, composed of young people ages 14-20, collaborated to build an educational hands-on experience operating rovers in a simulated Martian lava tube. Join members of the team to learn more about their mission and prototypes and to test drive the newest generation of their rovers.