Ken Buegeleisen

I have been the chairman of the North American Mycological Association's Foray committee for three years now, and I'm the President of my local mushroom club - the Sonoma County Mycological Association. I've lead hundreds of groups documenting and collecting fungi, wild plants, and exploring California's wild biodiversity.

The mushrooms don't exist without plants, trees, and often insects, moss, specific soil structures, geologic attributes, all have a role. The mushrooms really highlight how interconnected the web of life is. Did you know that mushrooms were considered "non-flowering plants" until the 1970's? Only 50 years ago, DNA analysis revealed that fungi are a completely different kingdom of life. This essentially makes mycology one of the last frontiers to be explored. And the best part is that ANYONE can make a contribution to the science.

I taught myself computer programming when I was 12. I currently work for MIT as software engineer. My wife and I own and operate a horse boarding ranch, and I contribute to regenerative agriculture by making compost for a local CSA. I also keep my 65 year-old hay-making equipment running to cut neighboring grasslands for fire control, and feed our horses and sheep.

I have a Bachelors in Business from Saint Mary's College, and Lifetime Teaching Credential from UC Berkeley. I spent a few years teaching computer science at Santa Rosa Junior College, then became an ERP consultant, now I work for MIT as an ERP systems engineer.

March 2026