The Wilmington Mushroom Club
So much more than just mycology
"In a society where dependence on capitalism & government
is all but forced, sustainability is a revolutionary act"
Our Mission
To connect local farmers with each other & the community to grow the population of aware, informed & involved families in our area.
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To create a safe space for humans of all ages who want to learn about their native environment & wildlife in a hands-on way.
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To increase the number of members in our community who are able to accurately identify both local toxic & edible mushrooms.
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To raise awareness & support for more sustainable
living/eating practices in our coastal community.
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To add to the number of accessible community gardens
& self-sustaining organic households in our area.
2023 WMC Events
An introduction to mushrooms & fungi, how to forage sustainably, and how to properly handle them! Come prepared with a notebook, slideshow lecture will be about 30-40min, Q&A will follow up after. The perfect class for beginners & those looking to deepen their knowledge of our local biome before Spring mushroom season.
Led by The Wilmington Mushroom Club's Ashlyn Thompson. This class is love donation-based (suggested $5 - 10) but no cost is required!
Learn how to tell the difference between our local edible / medicinal mushrooms and their toxic look-alikes. Feel more confident when foraging & learn something new with us!
Come prepared with a notebook, slideshow lecture will be about 30-40min, Q&A will follow up after. The perfect class for beginners & those looking to deepen their knowledge of our local biome.
Led by The Wilmington Mushroom Club's Ashlyn Thompson. This class is love donation-based (suggested $5-10 each) but no cost is required!
An introduction to our local & non-local legal medicinal fungi, how to incorporate them into your diet & how they can help maintain your mind & body! Come prepared with a notebook, the slideshow lecture will be about 30-40min, Q&A will follow up after. The perfect class for beginners & those looking to deepen their knowledge of our local biome.
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** this class will lightly (2-3 slides) cover the current science behind psilocybin mushrooms at the end. If this topic is abrasive to you or your children, please do not attend or leave prior to the discussion **
Led by The Wilmington Mushroom Club's Ashlyn Thompson. This class is love donation-based (suggested $5-10 each)
but no cost is required!
Our Team
Meet
Joe Diana
Meet
Ashlyn Thompson
"The only thing I find more peculiar than mushrooms themselves is the fact that most people just walk by them without a second thought. About 10 years ago I stopped and thought "what is this actually?" I've been hooked ever since.
About 5 years ago I got my first book Mycelium Running & my knowledge has only snowballed since. I've learned firsthand from Frank Hyman in Raleigh & I've received my Wild Mushroom Certification from Tradd Cotter with Mushroom Mountain.
Most of my time is spent in the woods foraging, gardening, collecting & growing medicinal plants, making kombucha, whittling wood, cooking, and having recently begun making homemade artisanal live vinegars.
I'm most excited to help teach & learn from this great community of like-minded people & am excited to see where it goes!"
Joe Choi is an outdoorsman, photographer, UNCW graduate, and certified mushroom forager! Along with Nicholl Gleason, Joe co-operates local farm Wholesome Greens.
Wholesome Greens, LLC is an artisinal suburban farm in Wilmington, NC. With microgreens at the top of their product list, Wholesome Greens also grows mushrooms, culinary herbs, edible flowers and produce. They also have a small flock of Highland Red chickens which have become a part of their sustainability practices among composting, recycling, and reusing. The farm's goals are to continually improve quality, customer satisfaction and awareness while strengthening our local communities. Wholesome Greens proudly serves many fine dining establishments and restaurants around the Cape Fear region.
Check out this article about Joe Choi here!
Ashlyn Thompson is a Wilmington local with a passion for bringing the community together through exercise, knowledge, & exploration.
Ashlyn graduated from NCSU in 2020 with a B.S. in Psychology and since then has started her own business as a spiritual practitioner, life coach, & holistic healing guide.
Ashlyn has always been interested in mushrooms, but really began her mycology journey in early 2021 when she learned about the many health & wellness properties of fungi. After realizing that Wilmington was full of wild edible & medicinal mushrooms, she saw a need for our community to be aware of the land we reside on. In October of that year she teamed up with Joe Choi to found The WMC. Although she is a novice mushroom forager, Ashlyn has quickly learned the basics & feels comfortable identifying multiple local species. As of 2022, Ashlyn is CPR/AED/ First Aid certified for infants & adults.
Meet
Joe Choi
We Want You!
Now accepting members from these local areas
Wilmington - Castle Hayne - Murraysville - Ogden - Scotts Hill - Hampstead
Wrightsboro - Rocky Point - Surf City - Topsail Beach - Myrtle Grove
Leland - Winnabow - Carolina Beach - Wrightsville Beach - Southport
The Wilmington Mushroom Club is a not-for-profit club in coastal North Carolina co-operated with Joe Choi of local farm Wholesome Greens, LLC, mushroom forager Joe Diana & founder Ashlyn Thompson. Our goal is to keep the club free, accessible & available to all.
Friends are welcome from far & wide!
To join the team, volunteer, donate, or host a workshop/class
please email tashlyn2020@gmail.com
WMC Forage Highlights
