Michelle Torres-Grant

CA FUNDIS Collector
Avila Beach, CA

Michelle’s interest in mushrooms evolved naturally from her life-long interest in nature. While photo documenting the native plants along hiking trails on the California Central Coast, she became curious about mushrooms and how people knew which ones were toxic. Seeking to unravel the mysteries of the mushroom world she attended her first fungal foray with the San Luis Obispo California Native Plant Society in December of 2012 and the 40th annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in January of 2013. Those two experiences introduced her to the fascinating world of fungi and the community that revolves around all things mushroom. Since then her mycology hobby has extended to organizing mushroom education programs with Christian Schwarz at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden and the Southwestern Research Station. In 2023 Michelle became part of the first group of mushroom collectors for the California Fungal Diversity Survey (CA FUNDIS) project.