The False Morels (Gyromitra spp.): Everything You Need to Know

Alden (they/them) has been a practicing mycologist for about a decade. They completed their PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan in 2024 and an MS in Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. Their research interests include fungal taxonomy, queer mycology, secondary metabolite evolution and genomics, dark matter fungal taxa, and fungal conservation. Alden is an expert on lorchels (also known as false morels, Gyromitra sensu lato) and crust fungi (see crustfungi.com), and they are also an avid forager and mycophagist with the lifelong goal of eating 1001 species. As an ambassador for the Kingdom Fungi, Alden teaches the public about mycology through forays, workshops, and lectures, exposing students to the lesser known and underappreciated organisms that make up the bulk of our fungal friends.