Hi everyone! My name is Paula Francesca I’m originally from Ecuador, and I now live in Georgia, USA

Growing up in Ecuador meant growing up surrounded by mountains, medicinal plants, artists, musicians, and indigenous traditions. During my childhood, my mother would send me to spend months in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where I learned to observe nature with curiosity and respect.

One of my favorite teenage memories is hiking in the Pululahua volcanic dead crater and discovering a place covered in wild mushrooms I was mesmerized Looking back, I don’t think I found the mushrooms… I think the mushrooms found me. I remember standing there completely fascinated. Looking back, I think that’s where my lifelong love for fungi truly began.

Over the years, my path has been shaped by lived experience, traditional knowledge, and supporting people through meaningful personal experiences. Mushrooms have transformed my own life and deepened my respect for nature.

Six years ago, I moved to the United States. In many ways, it feels like starting over. Sometimes I joke that I feel like a jaguar in an American zoo I know who I am, but I’m still learning how to navigate this new environment.

I’ve spent years learning through lived experience and traditional knowledge. Now I’m here to understand the science behind what I’ve loved my whole life.

This is my first step toward building a strong academic foundation in mycology, connecting with people who share this passion, and finding a community where I can keep learning and growing.

I’m grateful to be here, and I’m looking forward to learning from all of you. 🍄