North American Mycological Association Appalachia Foray 2023

The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) offered a scholarship to the Alberta Mycological Society (AMS) to support one of its members to attend the August 2023 NAMA Foray in the Appalachians. The AMS matched NAMA’s offer and held a competition this past May for one of our members to attend. Ethan Zapach won the competition – congratulations Ethan! The AMS required Ethan to produce a report on his attendance, and he did so with an excellent video. If you’ve never had a chance to attend a NAMA Foray, this is your opportunity for a tour through Ethan’s eyes and ears. NAMA Forays are exceptional, with famous speakers, engaged attendees and excellent programming. Watch the video, and consider whether you may want to attend a future NAMA Foray. In 2024, it will be held closer to Alberta, in Washington State.  Also, if you have attended our very own Great Alberta Mushroom Foray (GAMF), you may notice a similarity to NAMA’s vouchering processes, as our GAMF methods have been modelled after NAMA’s Foray since 2006.  Enjoy the video!

AMS/NAMA Scholarship Details

The Alberta Mycological Society (AMS) is pleased to announce that the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has awarded our Society a scholarship to attend its Appalachia NAMA Foray 2023.

https://namyco.org/annual_foray.php

This scholarship has a monetary equivalence of $500 USD, which includes the foray registration, accommodation, and meals. This event takes place on August 24 to 27, 2023 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. 

In addition, AMS will award the recipient $700 CDN from which the flight and other expenses may be covered.  Any additional expenses are the responsibility of the recipient.  

The AMS/NAMA Scholarship requirements are as follows: the applicant must be a current member of the AMS up to and including August 31, 2023;

  1. have a valid passport and admissibility to the US;
  2. not have attended a previous NAMA foray, including the 2006 Hinton, Alberta NAMA Foray;
  3. write a qualifying essay up to 500 words that addresses how the recipient will benefit themselves and the AMS; 
  4. submit their covering letter and qualifying essay to: namascholarship@albertamushrooms.ca by midnight MST May 26, 2023.
  5. be aware that they are representing the AMS at this event; and 
  6. upon returning, and by September 30, 2023, provide a report and presentation about the event (the report may include, but not be limited to, photos, video, interviews).

These are some additional requirements from NAMA:

7. Participating clubs shall institute a fair, transparent, and open process to select their recipient.

8. Each recipient shall receive one double occupancy in scholarship funds. (The recipient will be housed with another attendee.)

9. Recipients must be first-time NAMA Annual Foray attendees to be eligible. Minimum age 21.

10. Recipients must join NAMA before attending the event and will be offered a complimentary 1-year membership in conjunction with the scholarship award.

11. Recipients are not expected to volunteer at the event, nor to be a part of the committee or write a Mycophile article on their experience. However, those are always welcome :). Recipients are not expected to do any official presentations or be experts in the field of mycology.