We get it: not everyone wants to (or can) go to college to study fungi. So what’s out there for the amateur mycologist or mushroom enthusiast? What are some good resources for people to learn about mushrooms online?
Accessible mushroom education is vital as the Shroom Boom grows and more people become fascinated with the fungal kingdom. But honestly, at this point, online mycology programs that anyone can enroll in are few and far between. That’s one of the reasons we started Fungi Academy — to create accessible fungal education online for mycophiles around the world!
Let us tell you a little about our mycology courses, and then we’ll go over a few more online fungi education resources from around the wood-wide-web.
If you prefer your fungi education dished up with a side of cheeky fun, Fungi Academy online courses are for you! At Fungi Academy, we are all mycology nerds and love to dive deep into the best mushroom cultivation techniques, the newest discoveries in fungal ecology, and the best ways to form respectful relationships with sacred mushrooms.
But we never really fit in with traditional academia, which can be quite dry and dense. Why not make mushroom education easy to understand and fun?
Fungi Academy’s self-paced online Sacred Mushroom Cultivation course is based on our years of experience growing all types of mushrooms — including how not to make the same mistakes we did early on! With 70+ video lessons and a 130-page written guidebook, we walk you through everything you need to know to grow your magic, medical, or gourmet mushrooms at home.
If you want to learn more about the vital role fungi play in our environment, the relationships they form with other kingdoms of life, and how fungi shape life on Earth, the online Fungal Ecology course is calling your name!
Or maybe you want to learn the best ways to have safe, transformational psychedelic journeys, and hold sacred space for yourself and your loved ones? Taught by author and psychonaut Julian Vayne, our online Psychedelic Journeywork course supports your growth with video lessons and other resources.
Want to join monthly live, online classes with world-class fungi educators, where you can ask questions and connect with fellow mycophiles? Our Mushroom Membership gets you live access along with discounts to our courses and an ever-growing library of 60+ Masterclasses and other resources!
The library includes exclusive access to more than 100 hours of education, including Masterclasses and Sacred Mycology Summit content from legends like Giuliana Furci, Dennis McKenna, William Padilla-Brown, Alan Rockefeller, Dr. Gordon Walker, Azalea Montaño-Kemp, Laura Dawn, Daniel Shankin, Xochitl Ashe, Reishi Strauss, Sarah Wu, Mikaela De La Myco, Caine Barlow, Darren Le Baron, Mason Taylor, Jeff Chilton, and sooo many more!
Calling all herbalists and home chefs! The Herbal Academy’s Mushroom Course walks you through the basics of fungal biology, safe foraging, mushroom folklore, mycochemistry, and preparing mushrooms as food and medicine. Learn how mushrooms can support your health and mushrooms recipes to spice up your everyday cooking!
You can learn at your own pace with video and written lessons. Guest teachers include mushroom experts Christopher Hobbs, Greg Marley, Michael Phillips, Willie Crosby, and Dianna Smith.
Are you an educator who wants to teach your students about the wonderful world of fungi? Check out the Fungi Foundation’s Fungi Education — FREE mycological curriculum and educational resources designed for kids in public schools! We couldn’t resist dropping this resource here, as so many children are not taught about fungi or mushrooms in school like they are taught about other kindoms of life.
Resources include mycological curriculum in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; an educational version of the Fantastic Fungi documentary in those languages; activities for kids in grades K-5; videos from their teacher workshops; and other educational materials including book lists and grow kits.
Thank you Fungi Foundation for these resources. Let’s educate the next generation of mycophiles!
Of course, YouTube University has tons of videos on all things mycology! (We even have our own Fungi Academy YouTube Channel with lots of free resources on how to grow mushrooms, how to spot contaminated mycelium, and more.) There’s no way we could ever list all of the mycology videos on YouTube that we like, but we did want to link you to one from Dr. Elaine’s Soil Food Web School: Fungi and the Soil Food Web.
Technically this isn’t a course, but it’s a great 2-hour class and a free resource on farming with fungi! The panel discussion includes soil microbiologist Dr. Elaine Ingham, researcher Dr. Carla Portugal, and communicator Dr. Adam Cobb. This webinar is helpful for farmers, gardeners, and permaculturists who want to learn more about the soil food web and fungi. Fungi are key players in a healthy soil ecosystem who don’t often get credit for all they do to support our food system!
If you are someone who would rather learn through an accredited university, you’re in luck! The University of Victoria is offering an online self-paced Introduction to Mycology course designed for anyone who wants to deepen their scientific understanding of fungi, including naturalists, educators, and ecotourism guides. The course is self-paced, but participants must register by August 1, 2025.
The course is taught by Bryce Kendrick, a biologist and author of “The Fifth Kingdom: An Introduction to Mycology,” and Shannon Berch, a research scientist who studies soil and mycorrhizal fungi. They’ll teach you the basics about the many roles fungi play in our environment, including fungal pathology, food, nutrient cycling, health, and more!
Founded in 2012, Fungi Ally is a mushroom farm that also offers online mycology classes. In their class series, The Study of Mushrooms, you can learn how to grow mushrooms at home, commercial mushroom cultivation, and the top 10 medicinal mushrooms and how to use them as medicine.
Out of these courses, the commercial cultivation course seems to be their most unique resource that will save anyone who wants to grow mushrooms commercially lots of headaches! Through video lectures and other resources, this course details how to design a large-scale mushroom farm, how to sell fresh mushrooms and value-added products, and how to apply for grant funding for your business.
Clinical herbalists Yarrow and Terry Willard from the Wild Rose College created this World of Mushroom Medicine Mini-Series that is absolutely $FREE.99! This is a video journey exploring the world’s ancient mushroom culture: China. In the series, Yarrow (also known as Herbal Jedi) and Terry will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the business and culture of mushroom cultivation and extraction in China, including different medicinal mushroom farms, the Zhejiang University Cordyceps Laboratory, interviews with mushroom experts, and some great fungi-fueled storytelling!
This video series is a great alternative to Netflix… how many more times do you really need to watch that reality show or murder mystery?! (No judgments, though!)
Want to connect with fellow mycophiles in person? Join a Fungi Academy in-person course or retreat, attend the Telluride Mushroom Festival or another mushroom fest, or join your local mycology club! The North American Mycological Association is a great place to start. There are dozens of NAMA affiliated mushroom clubs all over the United States and Canada!
NAMA also offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced fungi educational resources and materials for educators.
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