Taye Bright

Taye Bright (she/her, they/them) is a mycologist, naturalist, artist and all-around biophile passionate about fungal ecology, plant-fungal symbioses, bioremediation, ethnomycology, community science, and conservation. She is especially interested in allying with fungi to encourage ecological literacy, create life-ways in alignment with bioregional intelligence, and uplift cultural narratives that encourage interspecies reciprocity.

Taye holds B.S. in Biology and Environmental Science, certifications in Permaculture Design and Ecosystem Restoration Design, and is a certified UC California Naturalist.

She works for the Fungal Diversity Survey (FUNDIS), the only nonprofit focused on North America’s fungal biodiversity and conservation. There, she serves as a field mycologist for the California Fungal Diversity Survey and as co-coordinator for the West Coast Rare Fungi challenge.

She is also a post-fire bioremediation researcher for the Fire Ecology Network in X-Site Study (FENiXS), a climate adaptation study investigating the effects of microbial and fungal inocula on community resilience and ecosystem recovery.

Her involvement in the mycology field is vast; she is a board member and contributing member of many mycological societies globally.

Outside of her research, she leads classes, courses, workshops, and walks around California and beyond, focusing on increasing accessibility of mycological and ecological education outside of conventional academia.