Meet Our Staff & Teaching Team

(from A-Z)

We partner with all-star instructors from eclectic backgrounds who bring subject matter expertise, respect for the land, and a love of teaching & building community through foraging.

  • Smiling woman with natural curly hair holding a small woven basket in her left hand and a colorful fly swatter in her right hand, standing outdoors among greenery and garden stakes.

    Abeni Pierson

    she/her

    Instructor: basketry

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  • A woman smiling on a beach, wearing a purple scarf and dark clothing.

    Autumn Summers

    she/her

    Instructor: seaweed, plant, acorn and bay nut classes

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  • A man with a red beard and a black cap sitting in a boat on a river, holding a Nikon camera and looking into the distance with a slight smile, surrounded by lush green trees.

    Alan Rockefeller

    he/him

    Instructor: mushrooms

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  • A woman holds a large, textured mushroom or fungus outdoors, smiling at the camera.

    Carrie Staller

    she/her

    Instructor: mushroom programs, founder of Fork In The Path

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  • A woman with short brown hair smiling outdoors in a park with blooming trees, a building, and a clear blue sky in the background.

    Cat Adams

    she/her

    instructor: mushroom & tree classes

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  • Smiling man lying on forest ground surrounded by foraged mushrooms, with paper bags and a bucket of collected mushrooms, and a backpack nearby.

    Chad Hyatt

    he/him

    Instructor: wild food cooking classes

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  • Christian Schwarz

    Christian Schwarz

    he/him

    Instructor: mushroom programs & co-author of Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast and Mushrooms of Cascadia

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  • A man smiling outdoors with a blurred green background

    Christopher O'Maelmacasa

    they/them

    Instructor: plant & mushroom programs

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  • Dean Lyons

    Dean Lyons

    he/him

    Instructor: mushroom classes

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  • Close-up of a woman with short hair, hands clasped near her mouth, smiling softly, with a dark background featuring out-of-focus lights.

    Dinna Davis

    she/her

    Instructor: mussel foraging

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  • Close-up of an older man with gray hair and beard smiling outdoors, wearing a blue hoodie, maroon jacket, and a gray baseball cap, with a lake and hills in the background.

    Jerry Falek

    he/him

    Instructor: basket classes

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  • Close-up of a woman's face, smiling, with a rocky outdoor background, wearing a gray hoodie and a black backpack.

    Lia Leibman

    she/they

    Instructor: plant programs

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  • Close-up of a woman smiling outdoors wearing a gray beanie and a black jacket with white rope drawstrings.

    Maria Kostick

    she/her

    Staff photographer & mushroom instructor

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  • Maya Elson

    she/they

    Instructor: mushroom foraging & cultivation

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  • Mikhael Crystallah-Selk

    he/him

    Instructor: Mushroom classes

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  • Noodle

    (she/her)

    Scent-trained mushroom hunting dog

    No bios for dogs
  • A man outdoors wearing glasses, a red cap, and a green T-shirt with a background of blurred green trees and foliage.

    Pascal Baudar

    he/him

    Instructor: fermentation classes

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  • A smiling man in a black beanie and layered outdoor clothing holding a collection of mushrooms in his hands, with dense green trees and forest in the background.

    Ryath Beauchene

    he/him/we

    Instructor: mushroom foraging & cultivation programs

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  • A smiling woman with short hair, wearing a black t-shirt with white text, stands outdoors near a rocky shoreline with water and hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

    Ryn Sullivan

    they/them

    Instructor: urchin & mussel classes

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  • Sadie Webb

    she/they

    Office staff: operations & marketing

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  • Sam Farnworth

    he/him

    Instructor: knife making

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  • A man wearing a yellow beanie and a blue jacket, smiling and holding a large, white mushroom in a green forest.

    Saumitra Kelkar

    he/him

    Instructor: mushroom, plant classes

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  • A woman smiling, wearing a teal knit beanie and a black jacket, holding a large mushroom in her right hand outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Sita Davis

    she/her/ella

    Instructor: mushroom programs and staff photographer

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  • A woman with short curly black hair, wearing a bright pink blouse, red lipstick, a green beaded bracelet, and distinctive gold earrings, smiling and touching her chest with her left hand against a plain gray background.

    Tamika Banks

    she/they

    Instructor: basketry

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  • A woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a brown cap, holding an orange mushroom close to her face and smiling outdoors.

    Taye Bright

    she/her they/them

    Instructor: mushroom programs

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  • Young smiling woman with brown hair, wearing a blue jacket, lying on the ground outdoors with pine needles and dirt, holding a Swiss Army knife, next to a pile of animal feces.

    Thea Chesney

    she/her

    Instructor: Mushroom & plant programs

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  • A smiling male chef wearing a white chef hat and coat, inside a restaurant with decorated walls and dining tables.

    Tim Shaw

    he/him

    Instructor: cooking, pickling and fermentation classes

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“Our instructors brought warmth, inclusivity, wisdom, and respect for the land and its first people. The icebreaker and closing activities served as a nice source of human connection for the group. I especially enjoyed the scientific explanations and cooking demo! ” -Hilary M.

A group of seven people standing outdoors in a wooded park or forest, smiling at the camera.
A group of seven people sitting at a wooden outdoor restaurant table during evening, smiling, with various dishes and drinks, some wearing casual and others wearing hats, with string lights and outdoor setting in the background.