Background: Langdon Cook is the acclaimed author of "The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America" and "Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager." His writing has been featured in prestigious publications including National Geographic Traveler, Eating Well, and has been profiled in Bon Appetit, WSJ magazine, and Salon.com.

Expertise: Cook specializes in wild foods and the outdoors, with over 20 years of foraging experience in the Pacific Northwest. His work explores the intersection of food, nature, commerce, and human culture, making complex ecological concepts accessible to diverse audiences.

Books & Recognition:

• "The Mushroom Hunters" - Called "intrepid and inspired" by Publishers Weekly and selected as an Amazon Best Book of the Year
• "Fat of the Land" - Described by The Seattle Times as "lyrical, practical and quixotic"
• "Upstream" - Winner of the 2014 Pacific Northwest Book Award

What to Expect: Cook's presentations blend adventure storytelling with practical knowledge, taking audiences into the underground world of commercial mushroom hunting while sharing insights about sustainable foraging practices and the cultural significance of wild foods.

Background: Born around 1980, Alan Rockefeller is an American mycologist who specializes in fungi photography, microscopy, DNA barcoding, and taxonomy. National Geographic has described him as "one of the most well-known mycologists studying psilocybe species" with "near-encyclopedic knowledge of mushrooms on the west coast of the U.S."

Scientific Contributions: Through phylogenetic and microscopic analysis, Rockefeller has identified several species not previously described in scientific literature. He has documented over 1,000 species from Mexico and 1,000 species from California, making significant contributions to fungal taxonomy.

Current Projects:

• Working with indigenous Sacha-Wasi people to catalog Ecuadorian fungi species
• Documenting night-fruiting, bioluminescent and fluorescent mushrooms in Mexican cloud forests
• Active identification work on iNaturalist, Mushroom Observer, and Facebook

Media Recognition: His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, Smithsonian, and many other prestigious publications.

Teaching Philosophy: Rockefeller believes fungi photography serves dual purposes - scientific documentation and inspiring people to get excited about nature. His presentations combine technical expertise with accessible education.

Background: Aaron Hilliard runs Mushroom Wonderland, a popular mushroom foraging and identification media outlet, and serves as VP of the Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society and mycology instructor at Olympic College.

Personal Story: His love for fungi began in childhood when his grandmother Anna Backman introduced him to wild mushroom foraging. After spending 20 years in the forest and studying mycological literature, he became deeply involved in mycological education.

Educational Work:

• Host of the popular YouTube channel Mushroom Wonderland
• Offers guided wild mushroom informational tours and workshops
• Creates monthly guides to Pacific Northwest foraging
• Featured in documentaries about Pacific Northwest mushroom foraging

Community Impact: Hilliard's work makes mycology accessible to newcomers through engaging video content and hands-on workshops, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and practical application for everyday foragers.