Why Fungi: Fungal Pathways

Why Fungi? Fungal Pathways, led by local mycologist Jae Manifest.

• Learn how fungi are essential to ecosystems and human life, exploring their complex relationships
• See how humans are harnessing fungi for food and environmental solutions
• Uncover the many pathways into mushroom science

Who Should Come:
Curious beginners, nature lovers, foragers, gardeners, students, and anyone who has ever looked at a mushroom and wondered, "What's the story here?" No experience needed.

Come ready to be curious. The road to fungal pathways starts here.

About the Speaker: Jae Manifest

Jae is an independent mycologist, citizen scientist, and multi-disciplinary creator based out of the Rocky Mountains region. He is widely recognized in the regional mushroom community for his educational content, outdoor advocacy, and active participation in key fungal events.

• Education & Forays: Guides mushroom foraging hikes, lectures, and workshops across Colorado, teaching field skills like understanding plant-fungi relationships, finding wild edibles like matsutake, and "thinking like a mushroom."
• Citizen Science: Advocates for tools like iNaturalist to track species and log open-source data. He contributed a rare mushroom found at the Telluride Mushroom Festival to the Denver Botanic Gardens' Sam Mitchell Herbarium of Fungi.
• Creative Ventures: Artist and photographer who captures detailed fungal photography. Founder of Ryyse Creations and Ryyse Media.
• Advocacy: As a prominent Black scientist in the outdoor space, he helps people break into mycology without traditional college degrees and advocates for an inclusive, welcoming community for amateur scientists.