For all those who have participated in one or more of our major identification foray events, you’ll appreciate how intensive the co-ordination of activities, the collaborative efforts, and the physical and mental energy required to gather and identify fungal specimens at GAMF. This exciting, multi day foray brings many people from diverse backgrounds together. In normal times, this is part of what makes GAMF so exciting and so enriching; sharing of enthusiasm for fungi, exchanging knowledge and experiences, dining together after a day of hard work, and so much more. Unfortunately, during these COVID-19 times, this coming together may put people at risk. As well, we organize prominent mycologists from across North America to attend GAMF to assist with fungal identification but sadly, international travel are currently strictly curtailed. Having a GAMF without the ability to leverage the expertise of these mycologists would be inefficient and counterproductive. For all our safety, GAMF is cancelled for 2020.

I encourage each of you to continue to foray on your own, and to continue interface with all of us, electronically, for your social and your mycological needs. Until we can meet again, we wish everyone and their families good health.

Karen Slevinsky

President, AMS