Adirondack Mushroom Guide Available at NYS Museum
The field guide provides visual identification of 50 local species to support amateur and professional botanical study.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Botany
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The New York State Museum has made the Illustrated Guide to Common Adirondack Mushrooms available for purchase in its gift shop. Originally published by SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in July 2026, the book compiles research and artistic work focused on regional mycology.
Why it matters
The guide archives regional biodiversity through a specialized scientific illustration lens. It provides a formal reference for identifying local fungal species that are critical to the Adirondack ecosystem.
The publication details 50 common mushroom and fungi species found in the Adirondack region. This cataloging follows a collaborative effort that synthesized field observation with taxonomic classification.
The players
New York State Museum
A research institution that maintains historical and scientific collections related to New York state natural history.
Patricia Kaishian
The curator of mycology at the New York State Museum who oversees research on fungal diversity.
SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
A public research university focused on the study of the environment, natural resources, and sustainable development.
Amanda Casanovas
A scientific illustrator who created the original watercolor imagery for the Adirondack mushroom guide.
The details
The project was produced through the SUNY ESF Scientific Illustration Fellowship, which paired scientific research with artistic documentation. Authors collaborated during the summer of 2025 at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station and the Newcomb campus to synthesize fungal data. Amanda Casanovas provided original watercolor illustrations to support the identification of each species described in the text.
Timeline
Summer 2025: Authors conducted collaborative work at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station and Newcomb campus.
July 2026: SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry first published the field guide.
The Tech Race
The guide reflects the ongoing effort to modernize field identification tools through high-fidelity scientific illustration. It serves as a localized counterpoint to broader, digital-only mycological databases that lack regional specificity.
Residents and hikers in the Adirondack region can access the guide by visiting the New York State Museum gift shop. The physical volume serves as a durable identification tool for outdoor excursions where digital connectivity may be limited.
The takeaway
This publication highlights the enduring value of traditional scientific illustration for accurate species identification in the field. Readers should track future outputs from the SUNY ESF Scientific Illustration Fellowship for upcoming regional taxonomic resources.
Further reading
For more on regional plant and fungal research, explore the Botany section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Adirondack Explorer.
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