Since our first festival in 2013, we have hosted some of the greatest morel mushroom hunters & experts on the planet at the Morel Festival in Brown County, Indiana. The list continues to grow, but here are some of the folks who have given lectures, classes & lead guided hunts:
Dr. Andy Methven- Andrew Methven is a mycologist and lichenologist with interests in the systematics, ecology, and phylogeny of fleshy fungi and lichens. He teaches courses in mycology, lichens, and field mycology and maintains the Cryptogamic Herbarium (with more than 10,000 collections of fungi and lichens). Included among his research interests are the identification and ecology of fleshy fungi, mycogeography, the effects of forest alteration on fleshy fungi, the application of compatibility studies and molecular techniques to fungal systematics, and the identification and distribution of lichens in the Midwest.
Stephen "Doc" Russell- Steve is the Staff mycologist here at The Morel & Music Festival, as well as the founder of the Hoosier Mushroom Society. Steve is a well known speaker throughout the country & His first book "Cultivating Mushrooms" was just released in August 2014.
Leon Shernoff- Leon Shernoff is a member of the Illinois Mycological Association, and currently its webmaster and program chair. He often serves as the club identifier on forays and mushroom walks.
Tom Nauman- Tom is the founder of Morel Mania & is a highly sought after speaker on Morel Mushrooms. He has appeared at events across the country, sharing his knowledge & expertise on the elusive morel Mushroom.
Alex "Mad Russian" Babich- Alex Babich, founder of mushroomgear.com & champion hunter, is one of the greatest morel hunters in the United States. Last year he harvested over 100 lbs of morels in one day!
Chris Matherly- Chris Matherly is one of the stars of the popular National Geographic T.V. show "filthy riches" & is one of the most highly sought after morel guides in the country. Find out more about Chris at morelmushroomhuntingclub.com
Tom "Mushroom King" Weipert- "TMK" is a chef by trade, & a professional mushroom harvester by passion. The Mushroom King is a very well known speaker & hunter & has picked mushrooms in nearly every state in the country.
"Shroominator Lee"- Shroominator makes a living on the road harvesting wild mushrooms. While most of us only get to hunt for a few weeks out of the year, Lee does it every day!
Jeff Gonella- Jeff Gonella is another guy who makes his living off of the land. He resides in California, but makes his way to Indiana to attend this one of a kind festival. Jeff spends his days harvesting mushrooms all across the U.S.
Ninja Shroomer- To this day, not much is known about the Ninja Shroomer, other than the fact that he is one of the most well rounded outdoorsmen that we've ever met! He specializes in morels, but is knowledgable about all things fungi!
Bird Snider-"Bird" is a local legend here in the hills of Brown County. rumor has it, that he knows the location of every dying elm tree within a 50 mile radius! Bird also leads the kids guided hunt at the fest & is an all around outdoorsman!
Jeff "Mushroom Whisperer" Lancaster- The Mushroom Whisperer spends his days during the spring, scouting new locations & harvesting major loads of morels. Jeff is a true nature lover & one of the most knowledgeable outdoor enthusiasts that we know.
& many, many more!!!