Bioprospecting

Ethical Wild Collection, Cloning, Strain Evaluation & Preservation
Live Online Demonstration | Private Stream + Discord Access
Instructor: Andrew Reed, Founder of Mossy Creek Mushrooms

Overview

Bioprospecting is not about grabbing everything you see—it’s about observation, restraint, and stewardship.

This class explores how to responsibly collect, clone, evaluate, and preserve wild fungal genetics while respecting ecosystems, land access, and long-term biodiversity. We’ll cover both the field mindset and the lab workflows needed to turn a wild specimen into a stable, traceable culture.

This work also ties directly into The Mycologeum—a living archive focused on the collection, preservation, and sharing of fungal biodiversity for future growers, researchers, and ecosystems.

Who This Class Is For

• Foragers curious about what happens after the find
  
• Growers interested in wild genetics and strain development
  
• Culture workers building a meaningful library
  
• Anyone interested in fungal preservation and biodiversity

No prior lab experience is required.
However, attendees will get significantly more out of this class if they’ve completed (or are familiar with) our Mushroom Cultivation Basics mentorship.

What You’ll Learn

Ethical Wild Collection

• When collection is appropriate—and when it isn’t
  
• Land access, permissions, and legal considerations
  
• Minimizing disturbance and overharvest

Field Identification & Documentation

• Recognizing candidates worth cloning
  
• Recording habitat, host, and environmental context
  
• Why metadata matters as much as the mushroom

Cloning Techniques

• Tissue selection and clean collection
  
• Field-to-lab transfer strategies
  
• Agar workflows for wild specimens

Strain Evaluation

• Assessing growth behavior and vigor
  
• Recognizing unique or valuable traits
  
• Deciding what’s worth keeping—and what isn’t

Preservation & Storage

• Short- and long-term culture storage strategies
  
• Slants, plates, and redundancy planning
  
• Preventing genetic drift and loss

Traceability & Recordkeeping

• Labeling and documentation habits
  
• Linking cultures to origin data
  
• Building a culture library with long-term value

What This Class Is Not

• Not a foraging tour
  
• Not a species identification course
  
• Not a rush to commercialize wild finds

Format & Logistics

• Format: Live online demonstration
  
• Date: June 6th
  
• Length: Full-day session
  
• Class Size: Limited for focused discussion
  
• Replay Access: 30 days included
  
• Discord Access: Included

What You’ll Receive

• Bioprospecting and cloning workflow notes (PDF)
  
• Ethical collection and documentation guidelines
  
• Certificate of Completion (PDF)
  
• Access to the Private MCM Discord Server

Important Notes

• Open to foragers, growers, and culture workers
  
• Tickets are non-refundable
  
• Tickets transferable with 7 days’ notice
  
• Event access details sent a few days before class

Reserve Your Seat

Every culture preserved is a story saved.

If you care about fungal diversity, responsible exploration, and preserving what the wild has already perfected, this class is for you.

Let’s build libraries, not trophies.