COMA

This year we will be at Wisdom House, a conference center and retreat in Litchfield, Connecticut, from August 29th to September 1st, 2025. The facility is located on 50(+) acres of private woodlands and is surrounded by beautiful parks. Foraging on the campus and in nearby state parks is reliably outstanding. We usually harvest close to 400 species, and choice edibles should be abundant at this time of year. Enjoy our mycophagy (included with Social Hour on Sunday evening), prepared by Julie O'Grady. We will have an outstanding staff of mycologists and expert identifiers, including Alan Bessette, Arleen Bessette, Rick Van de Poll, John Plischke III, Roz Lowen, and Dianna Smith.

The 4-day fee includes 3 nights' lodging and 8 meals, from dinner on Friday to breakfast on Monday. You may register for whichever days/nights suit your schedule; full details will be on the registration form. (Please note that breakfast is not included on your day of arrival.) You may register for whichever days/nights suit your schedule; full details will be on the registration form. Please bring your lunch on Friday. All rooms will be double occupancy, unless otherwise indicated. If you do not have a roommate chosen, we will select one for you. Activities include swimming (in-ground heated pool), evening presentations and "social hour" after evening programs. Donations of nature books and mushroom memorabilia for our auction are appreciated. Rates are based on double occupancy (D/O) unless otherwise indicated.

Some of the attendees at the 2022 Clark Rogerson Foray

Our roster of invited mycologists includes:

• Dr. Alan Bessette, Professional mycologist, educator, and author of 20(+) mycological reference books.
• Arleen Bessette , Mycologist, photographer, author/co-author of multiple books & papers.
• Rick Van de Poll, nationally recognized mycologist and instructor.
• John Plischke III, author of Good Mushroom, Bad Mushroom.
• Dr. Roz Lowen, ascomycete expert, and professor of mycology.
• Dianna Smith, past president of NEMF and founder of PVMA.

Featuring Julie O'Grady, Chief Mycophagy Chef.

Overnight Accommodations

The 4-day fee includes 3 nights' lodging and 8 meals, from dinner on Friday to breakfast on Monday. (Please bring your lunch on Friday.) All rooms will be double-occupancy unless you elect to pay for the entire room yourself*. If you do not have a roommate chosen, we will select one for you.

Remembering Clark Rogerson

Clark T. Rogerson (1918-2001)

In 1981 COMA named the annual foray in honor of American mycologist Clark Thomas Rogerson best known for his work on the ascomycetes, particularly the Hypomyces. After acquiring a bachelor of science from Utah State University, a doctorate from Cornell University, and joining the faculty of Kansas State University, Rogerson was invited to the New York Botanical Garden. He became Senior Curator in 1967. By 1969 Rogerson was appointed president of the Mycological Society of America. As much as he was a professional, Rogerson was tirelessly committed to education and the development of amateur mycologists. He helped found the New Jersey Mycological Association, the New York Mycological Society, and our own club COMA. His intentions are best reflected in the New York Mycological Society's mission statement: “to bridge the gap between the amateur and the professional.” In 1985 Rogerson was awarded for his outstanding service to COMA. Now more than a decade after his passing, amateur mycologists come together annually at the Clark T. Rogerson Foray to celebrate with reverence and appreciation our collective fascination with fungi and the legacy of our mycological forbearers.