About the Team
Welcome from Festival Founder
Four years ago, our family started Maddie’s Mushrooms Farm because of our belief in the vast potential of mushrooms to create a healthier world. In our increasingly interconnected and changing planet, mushrooms are a powerful source of hope. It seems the benefits of these fascinating fungi only spread as more information becomes available, and more and more people are drawn to their mysterious, magnificent ways.
In 2022, we started the Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival to cultivate discovery, connection, and community. We believe that mycology is a topic that should be available and accessible to all, and the more of us who embrace this subject, the better.
Our mission is to increase access to experiential learning about an array of mycology topics, and bring people together in one of the most renowned ecosystems for fungi on Earth—the Olympic Peninsula.
The natural composition of the lands, soils, waters, and weather of this bioregion create exceptional conditions for mushrooms to thrive. Olympic National Park covers nearly one million protected acres and contains at least 1,400 different species of fungi. While it’s only 2 percent of the state’s territory, it accounts for at least 56 percent of its mushroom diversity! The festival hopes to draw locals and visitors from across the country to celebrate, respect, and learn within this unique and spectacular place.
There are many entry points into the field of fungi, each with its own world of wonder. The festival promotes community-building within and across groups, weaving a network of endless connections and possibilities.
Last year, we expanded our venue to the Clallam County Fairgrounds in Port Angeles, and we hosted events in Sequim. The festival featured lectures, hands-on workshops, guided forays, mushroom cuisine, and more from local and internationally acclaimed experts. Live music, a vendors’ market, and camping made for a full three-days of family fun across Clallam County. There was a variety of ticketing options, including a free option. This year we are planning a bigger and better Fungi Festival for all to enjoy.
No matter where you’re at on your journey with mushrooms, we guarantee this festival will inspire something new.
David Rogers
Owner, Maddie’s Mushrooms
Founder, Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival
Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival Key Personnel
David Rogers – Executive Director
Howard Sprouse – Program Director
Doug Ihmels - Education/Outreach Coordinator
Rose Thompson – Production Coordinator
Vanessa Fuller – Dungeness River Nature Center
Tom Locke – Medicinal Panel speaker
Shana Rogers – Bookkeeping – Office
Courtney Nestler – Marketing Coordinator / Social Media Marketing / Email Marketing
Ricki Carr – Sponsorship Coordinator
Tom Sanford – NOLT
George Braly – CPA
Team Bios
Doug Ihmels
Role: Education/Outreach Coordinator
In this role, I will be coordinating the involvement of local educational institutions and community organizations in the festival. Send me an email at outreach.opff@gmail.com and let’s explore how your organization can participate in this year’s event. It is my goal to increase the number of organizations participating this year.
Why Mushrooms? I find mushrooms fascinating! As a food source they offer important health benefits and taste amazing. They serve an important role in our environment and are used in cultures around the world. I find them beautiful and I am always excited to see them when I am out exploring. Their diversity and abundance in nature provide endless opportunities to learn more. What more could you ask for?
Why OPFF? I am thrilled to be a part of the OPFF. It is easy to catch the enthusiasm of founder David Rogers and the rest of the OPFF team. The mission of educating our community on the many benefits and uses of mushrooms is important. I look forward to help bring a fun and entertaining event to our community.
Favorite Mushroom & why? My favorite mushroom is the Lion’s Mane. It’s good for the brain and the immune system and tastes great too! It’s also very interesting to look at.
Ricki Carr
Role: Sponsor Coordinator
Why Mushrooms? I have found such peace, curiosity and wisdom within myself and everything that surrounds me in the short amount of time I have spent getting to know our fungal friends. The inspiration that they bring to our earthly experience is truly limitless.
Why OPFF? The opportunity to support a family in their passion project means everything! It’s an honor to support community members achieve their goals while simultaneously watching the community around them and the team they have cultivated become inspired and thrive alongside them.
Favorite Mushroom and why? One of my favorite fungal friends would have to be Pseudohydnum gelatinosum most commonly known as toothed jelly fungus or cats tongue. They are one of the first fungal families that I became friends with. The second I spotted them my entire body buzzed with excitement and joy! From that point on I made sure I prioritized time for them at least once a week. Every time I returned It was just as exciting as the first time we met! After the buzz of excitement calmed, they reminded me of all my bodily senses and curiosities. They helped me to remember the importance of slowing down and cherishing what I have in front of me. I have so much to learn. I am so grateful to know them.
Courtney Nestler
Role: Marketing Coordinator / Social Media Marketing / Email Marketing
Why Mushrooms? I think mushrooms are very interesting. I've been fascinated by nature my entire life and have always been curious about fungi's role in different ecosystems and environments. Not quite a plant, not quite an animal, but something else - which I think is really cool.
Why OPFF? I love working with this team and helping promote this project. David and his family, Rose and Jason, and all those involved, they are real, authentic community builders. I am honored to be a part of it.
Favorite Mushroom & why? I don't know if I can choose just one. I am fascinated by mushroom's role in holistic health and cleaning up the environment.
Rose Thompson
Role: Operations & Vendor Management
Why Mushrooms? I'm more of an event kid than a mushroom kid! I came to this with a love of putting together community events, bringing awareness to our area and it's natural beauty, and an openness to learning more about mushrooms - from a culinary perspective as well as a health and wellness view.
Why OPFF? I believe this may be the most important event produced on the Olympic Peninsula and I feel very honored to be a part of it. The world of mycology is enormous, interest in it just seems to keep developing, and we live in one of the most robust environments for foraging and exploring. There is an amazing team that has bonded together to create this festival, and being a part of that crew is very special to me.
Favorite Mushroom & why? My access point to mushrooms remains in the kitchen, so my favorite is probably a chanterelle!
Bri Gillett
Role: Volunteer Coordinator
"As the Volunteer Coordinator for the Fungi Festival, I bring enthusiasm for mushrooms and the great outdoors to my role. Joining this remarkable team was an opportunity I eagerly embraced, driven by my passion for community engagement and supporting the dreams of like-minded individuals. Organizing events that celebrate nature's wonders while fostering a sense of belonging for all participants is deeply fulfilling."
Why Mushrooms? The possibilities are endless, fungi is fascinating and it's exciting to expand my knowledge and get to meet such wonderful people in the process.
Favorite Mushroom & why? Creminis, I love them raw on a salad or sautéed with some garlic and butter on a good steak!
David Rogers
Role: Director/Founder
Why Mushrooms? I believe mushrooms have the power to save the world!
Why OPFF? Growing up on the Olympic Peninsula this just seems like the perfect place to celebrate fungi!
Favorite Mushroom & why? There are to many to pick just one! I think psilocybe cubensis is under appreciated for its medicinal potential and the transformation it can provide for some is invaluable.