OAXACA!!
The Third Regional Foray in Mexico with the
North American Mycological Association!

 If you are anywhere near the orbit of anyone who took the leap to attend this first or second NAMA Mycological Forays in Mexico in 2023 and 2024, you know, because they haven't shut up about it. What started out as a tantalizing idea in early 2022 became a pivotal and ground-breaking interconnection between mycologists in Mexico and the United States; long-time coming connections between the indigenous communities of Mexico State, attendees and visiting chefs... connections that will last a lifetime! After two runs at the incredible Hotel Rodavento in Valle de Bravo, we felt it was time to expand the range of NAMA programs to beating heart of ancient and modern Mexican mycological history: Oaxaca.

We shoot to pierce even deeper into the endless font of wisdom and knowledge that Mexico represents: This time, in Book 3--sorry our third year--of our NAMA_MX Saga, we take our Journey to Ixtlán.  Ixtlán de Juraez is the largest community within the Zapotec speaking Sierra Juarez, part of the Sierra Norte mountain range of Southern, Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, comprising about 2500 people. Through collective community action, they have created amazing infrastructure at their EcoturIxtlan adventure camp, for lack of a better word: complete with conference center, hikes, natural beauty, restaurant on-site, temescal, and wood-fire heated cabins for about 65 people to stay comfortably, this mixed pine forest hideaway is a biodiversity playground... and literal playground! Oaxaca has been in the consciousness of the mycological world since the 1956 LIFE magazine featured a Oaxacan 'shaman' Maria Sabina and blew the lid off of "magic mushrooms." Yes, that was the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca!

The Fungivore has been operating in Oaxaca and in Ixtlan de Juarez since September of 2021, our inaugural adventure with guide Celestino Mendez. We are so excited to share this very special location with NAMA and the rest of North America.

Please see our day-by-day itinerary below, under the Key Trip Details section.

A unique and authentic adventure in a beautiful, rain forest-like mountains in Mexico, full of mushrooms! So much about this beautiful tour was a pleasant surprise. I seek mushroom experts who...are...knowledgeable in their use by indigenous people. I was so surprised and pleased at the assembled mycologists and ethnomycologists. They shared with us their work, and we joined them, their students, and members of the indigenous communities in whose forests we foraged, for amazing mushroom hunts!"

- Elinoar; Massachusetts; NAMA Board of Directors

Key Trip Details

Cooking wild mushrooms over the traditional 'comal,' a hot plate of metal or ceramic heated by wood-fire

Length: 6 nights
Average Foray Distance: 2 miles/day
Altitude: 7,000-9,000 feet
Exertion Level: Easy to Moderate
Accommodations:
- 2 Nights in Oaxaca City
- 4 Nights at EcoturIxtlan Cabañas
All meals included: 6 Dinners; 5 Breakfasts; 5 Lunches)
Amenities: Incredible fungi-rich 40 acres of rustic accommodations & foraging grounds; optional temescal, on-site restaurant, fast wifi.
Cost: $2525.00

APPLY AND JOIN TODAY!

Elinoar Shavit shows off a gorgeous Exsudoporus frostii.

Day-to-Day Itinerary Overview

August 24th- Day 1: Opening Dinner and Mixer at location TBD (A special experience outside  Oaxaca City). Welcome talk from The Fungivore founders Zachary and Kimberly Hunter; NAMA introduction by Bruch Reed.

August 25th - Day 2: Visit Monte Alban, and then to Los Animas for Lunch and finally to Ixtlan. Community Introduction and area tour, Welcome to Biodiveristy of Oaxaca (Eli Garcia Padilla). Free Evening.

August 26th - Day 3: Breakfast Lectures: intro courses for iNaturalist & Vouchering; Safari Van Trip (group 1: Cloud Forest/Mesofilo; Full foray day; lunch with the restaurant; introductions to our field mycologists. Review of our finds; Evening: Dinner in the restaurant.

Among the many surprises in Ixtlan were several species of craterellus that stumped our mycologists!

August 27th - Day 4: 2nd Foray spot on EcoturIxtlan grounds; Safari Van Trip (group 2: Cloud Forest/Mesofilo; afternoon talks in the conference Center on the indigenous of Oaxaca featuring Belen, Samuel, etc. Language classes: Mushroom Verbiage in Mixteco and Zapoteco (Mixe?). Dinner in the restaurant. Free evening.

August 28th - Day 5: Third Foray Location: Picnic lunch at the Cave below;  Food Panel: Edible Mushrooms of the Sierra Norte (Panel?);
Cooking Demonstration (Ariadna?)

August 29th - Day 6: Final day: Findings and table talk, summary of iNaturalist and Bouchering finds; lunch and depart for Oaxaca City for our closing dinner.

August 30th - Day 7: Check out of Hotel!

Oaxaca is more than just the seed of Mexican culture. The prehistoric caves in the Mitla valley contains evidence of the earliest cultivation of corn and pumpkin, the first of which is the most widely grown crop on earth now. Oaxaca is a cradle of civilization oft overlooked in our historical summaries. But within these forests are cultures with 10,000 years of memory and expertise in the field. Oh, and the food is banging.

---

Read & Hear more about NAMA_MX and Ixtlan de Juarez, OAX:

WATCH the recording of Zachary Hunter's February 20th, 2024 NAMA Official Webinar presentation:

"Lessons from Mexico: Humanity, Ecology and Mushrooms"

Oaxaca's indigenous communities of Ixtlán as featured in The Guardian. May 1st, 2024!

Read this fantastic article on the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca, focusing on the community of Ixtlán de Juarez, where we will be for our NAMA_MX24: Journey to Ixtlan.

READ the glowing review of NAMA_MX23
on Page 20 of the Mycophile Quarterly,
the Publication of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA)

Watch the recording here

Read the article

Button Text

Lectures & presentations, daily forays, interactive cooking demos, dance parties, indigenous panels, vouchering and iNaturalist lessons, science and friends.

What could possibly go right?
("That's what they say just before EVERYTHING goes right!")

It is hard to go into the amount detail possible to convey just how amazing our first couple goes at this event was in 2023 and '24, so it is best to show you a very limited slice of show that last two years... All we can say is, for 2025, we have taken all that was amazing and amplified it, and decided to take us to our familiar home stomping woods of the Sierra Juarez mountains, the mycophilic Mancomunados, one of the global leaders on community organization and resistance to global pressures.

Please read both the Mycophile Quarterly article, an articulate review of the event by Bruch Reed, and take a look at the NAMA_MX23 Extended Program, complete with biographies of participating chefs and mycologists. We haven't yet released the line-up for 2025, though needless to say several of our participants will be returning for our second round. We are exploring some very exciting new content this year, as one of the main areas we have expanded is time during the day for programming. Needless to say, you won't be disappointed.

The Power of Community Organization

Wild mushroom (Craterellus tubaeformis & C. lutescens) at the folk market in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca.

A poster of some of the edible mushrooms known in the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca.

Much of Oaxaca is under the jurisdiction of indigenous communities--something like 470 out of 580 municipalities are autonomous. Many of these communities have been operating under a democratic consensus model for centuries if not millennia. Each community is its own entity, has it's own customs, it's own language(!) and it's own relationship to the natural world, to each other and the 'outside' world. They not only love to hunt and eat mushrooms, but are incredibly knowledgeable in the care of their forests, in the types and parts of mushrooms, and the various growing cycles, the manner in which to harvest, the ecology and so much more, learned after hundreds of years of sustainable forestry management. We at the The Fungivore earnestly believe that learning from the ecological model that includes people, especially the indigenous, as the caretakers of the planet rather than exclude them "for nature's sake" is essential. Mexico and her innumerable communities provide an excellent example of where to begin this essential learning.

¡Vayamos a Mexico, amigos... Hongueremos!

WHAT PAST NAMA_MX ATTENDEES HAVE SAID:

26 of the ultimate 30 edible species of fungi in Ixtlan.

"It was flipping fantastic, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!”
- Noel; Louisiana

"The trip exceeded my expectations. You will see a side of Mexico that most tourists don't get to experience."
- Ron; Texas

"I really cannot think of any ways to improve, especially since people can arrive early and/or stay later and do their own thing. It was really an outstanding experience!"
- Susie; California

As a mushroom "novice", I was so amazed at how everyone made me feel welcome and included. I learned so much, not only about the wide variety of mushrooms and other fungi we were finding, but about the work that NAMA and local mycologists and entrepreneurs are doing to create more awareness and appreciation for fungi in Mexico."
- Jane; Bay Area, CA

Hunting mushroom in Ixtlan de Juarez with Mario Gabiati in 2023.

"I felt a profound sense of belonging to something larger than myself. It had been some time since I sharpened my identification skills and engaged in field foraging, but the warmth and support from everyone made me feel right at home and provided me with invaluable learning experiences."
-Harrison; Ohio

Tell me about NAMA_MX25 First!

Check out our 2023 and 2024
events in the State of Mexico

Take a look at the Extended Programs of the previous two year
organized and assembled by
Ireri Monter, CEO of Symbiosis Viva La Funga

Apply and join us in 2025!

---

Our NAMA_MX25 Oaxaca Team

Zachary & Kim 
​Williams-Hunter

The Fungivore Brains & Brawn

Zachary and Kimberly shared their first hosted Mexico tour together less than two months after meeting. That love-(and-tourism)-at-first-sight in Fall of 2018 has blossomed into a project far beyond their original dreams.

In 2023, they celebrated their 5th year of hosting mushroom adventures in Mexico, a journey that saw them move to Oaxaca in early 2022, and to dedicate their attention to the cradle of civilization hiding in plain sight; to tap into the both ancient and future wisdom of the people of the clouds and rain.

NAMA_MX23 was their first venture into Mexico State, and they look forward to further forging relationships with the mycophilic foraging folks, and the retrun in 2024 was even more generative and integrative!

We are so excited to share our home of Oaxaca witht he larger NAMA community!

Itahi Belen
Bautista

Mycologist and Indigenous Wisdom Keeper

Belén Itahí Bautista--Ñaa Ñuu Sauu--from Ndoyocoyo, Atatlahuca in Oaxaca, descends from a family with a long tradition of gathering wild edible mushrooms. She founded  Ruta de Hongos Mixteca and Ethnomycological Group of the Mixteca (GEM), a volunteer organization that has become a cornerstone in educating local producers and artisans through courses, workshops, and training sessions. She has been instrumental in organizing mushroom fairs in San Esteban Atatlahuca since 2016.

With the Intn'l Forum of Indigenous Women (FIMI) she was part in the Guardians of Ancestral Knowledge meeting in Panama; she has facilitated biocultural exchanges in Chile with the Mapuche and Mixteca Alta communities.

Having Itahi as part of our organizing team this year is a blessing beyond words.  NAMA_MX25 is on her home turf!

Ireri Monter

Mycologist & CEO, Symbiosis Viva La Funga

Ireri Monter is a Mexican biologist from the Faculty of Sciences, UNAM. She is the founder and CEO of Symbiosis Viva La Funga, an organization dedicated to educating and dispersing edible mushrooms to chefs in Mexico City directy from the rural communities.

She has specialized in mycotourism and environmental education, as well as identification and consumption of wild edible mushrooms from Central Mexico. Ireri has also dine important research on the identification and quantification of mycotoxins in food and on the production, marketing and research of products derived from functional fungi.

We are thrilled to steal Ireri from Mexico City for continued success in co-organizing this event for the 3rd year for NAMA_MX25!

Bruch Reed

COO; North American Mycological Association

Bruch Reed, one of the few paid staff of the North American Mycological Association is one of the hardest working myco-geeks in the field. He is the operating energy behind NAMA. Living in Chicago, Bruch is dedicated to the practice of vouchering, and works closely with the Chicago Field Museum to keep a store vouchered records from NAMA's regional forays since the late 1990s, with literally thousands of mushroom species recorded, dried and stored.

Bruch was instrumental in the NAMA_MX23 for the organization and operation of the vouchering program, which came away with several hundred species to explore further that he retruned in 2024 and vouchered something along the line of another 175 species almost single handedly!

We're excited for him to experience the new location of Oaxaca!

Celestino Mendez

Community Organizer, researcher and Guide

Celestino Mendez is a local Zapotec member of the Mancomunados of the Sierra Nortes, farming and living in his native village of Latuvi. He leads treks, mountain bike tours, mountain summit tours and more through Walk With Celestino.

We met Celestino in 2019 at the Cuajimoloays Mushroom Festival, and have partnered with him on all of our tours in 2021 and 2022. He is passionate about orchids, and has a deep knowledge of the forests & ecological diversity in the Sierra Norte.

Celestino has been our local partner for all of our tours in the Sierra Nortes since 2021. It is an honor to bring him into the fold for NAMA_MX25!

Alissa Allen

Master Mushroom Dye
Instructor

Alissa is the founder of Mycopigments. She specializes in teaching about regional mushroom and lichen dye palettes to fiber artists and mushroom enthusiasts all over the world. Alissa got her start in the Pacific Northwest and has been sharing her passion for mushrooms for over 15 years.
​
Alissa uses brilliant colors found in fungal dyes to entice people to take a closer look at mushrooms and lichens and the role they play in our lives. This will be her second season joining us for mycoadventures in Oaxaca.​

2025 will be Alissa's 4th year in a row coming to Oaxaca and exploring the variety of dye mushrooms here, interfacing with local dyers, and we are thrilled to have her with us for NAMA_MX25!

​The Cost, How to Join, and What is Covered:

Payment Policy, Non-Refundable Deposit and Refund Schedule
This adventure costs $2525.00 to attend.
Payments for the trip shall be made in full, and includes the NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT (NRD) of $500 which helps us secure accommodations, reserve transportation, book restaurants, and secure the tour.

With this payment commitment, your deposit will be returned to you only on one of two conditions: the trip is completely canceled (all monies will be returned), or you help arrange for someone else to take your place.

​Refunds for cancellations will be returned on the following schedule:

• 120+ days before the start of the trip, total paid minus NR Deposit (Before Apr 25);
• 90-120 days before, 60% refund (Apr 25);
• 60-90 days before, 40% refund (May 24);
• 30-60 days before, 20% refund (Jun 23);
• 30 days before, no refund available (After Jul 23)

How to Join

We review each application to make sure this adventure is a good fit for all participants, and give us insight on how to create the best experience for the whole group. Upon review, we're reach out after January 15th to discuss group informational calls, and offer payment links, as well next steps.  

We will fill the trip in the order of applications received and deposits secured. Our group size is capped at 30 participants.  If you are even a little interested, get your spot for 2025!

Payment plans are available on a case-by-case basis, and accrue a small fee. Please send an email to info@thefungivore.com to explore this option.​

 What is Covered on Trip

*Double occupancy is assumed for our available accommodations. If you are traveling with someone, be sure to let us know if you need 1 bed or two.

**All meals from dinner August 24th-Dinner -August 30th Dinner, 6 nights of city and cabin lodging, forays, activities, and classes are all included. Alcohol, souvenirs, and some optional activities are not included.

The deposit is non-refundable IN MOST CASES. We use it immediately to secure transportation, lodging and reservations. However, if the trip is canceled on our end for any reason, your money will be returned.

The flight to Oaxaca City and transportation to the city from the airport ($7-20) is NOT included. Please make travel arrangements to check in to the arranged hotel the afternoon of August 24th, and/or join us from your own place at the hotel for our journey to dinner.

Join Us in Mexico!