What we’re about
The Los Angeles Mycological Society (LAMS) is a non-profit group whose purpose is to foster and expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology (that is the study of mushrooms and fungi). LAMS is an eclectic group of mycologists, foodies, nature lovers, and mushroom aficionados. Please join us if you are interested in learning about the amazing world of mushrooms, including: how to correctly identify a mushroom, learning about the health benefits of mushrooms, how you can grow your own mushrooms, and about the critical role mushrooms play in the evolution of this planet. For more information about LAMS and its activities please visit our web site.
Upcoming events
1
LAMS General Meeting
Sparr Heights Community Center, 1613 Glencoe Way, Glendale, CA, USSpeaker: Lauren Jonker
Program: “Southern California Lichens: Monitoring, Conservation, and Community Science”
Lichens are one of the most overlooked yet essential groups of organisms in our landscapes. Neither plant nor moss, lichens are living partnerships between fungi and photosynthetic partners that thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth. In Southern California, they paint our coastal bluffs, oak woodlands, and desert soils with remarkable diversity and serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Their presence and abundance reflect habitat integrity, climate influences, and the resilience of natural communities.
This talk will introduce lichens broadly and then focus on the unique lichen communities of Southern California. Drawing on recent surveys and herbarium work across San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, Lauren Jonker will share highlights from documenting rare species, recording patterns of diversity, and contributing specimens to regional collections. These efforts connect to current research themes in taxonomy, community ecology, and conservation.
The discussion will also look ahead at how long term monitoring, field-based surveys, and community science projects are reshaping our understanding of lichens, and why collections remain vital as time capsules of biodiversity. Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation for these hidden organisms and their role in sustaining ecosystems.More information about LAMS events, including a biography of the speaker, is available on the LAMS Calendar page.
Directions to the community center are on the LAMS Locations page.
1 attendee
Past events
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