The location and climate of UCSC bring together elements of the fungal flora from both southern California and the coastal Pacific Northwest, creating a remarkable diversity of mushrooms and other macrofungi. Mushrooms are often outstandingly beautiful, some are prized edibles, others are deadly poisonous, and all are essential facets of our forest communities. Furthermore, many basic aspects of macrofungal taxonomy and ecology are still poorly understood, leaving substantial potential for undergraduates and amateurs to make significant contributions to science.