Joanna Steinhardt: Psychedelic Naturalism: Psilocybin and the Evolution of Amateur Applied Mycology

Amateur applied mycology in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest functions as an ecological movement that extends beyond simple mushroom cultivation. Practitioners engage in diverse civic and environmental projects, from mycoremediation to local permaculture and lab-based workshops, often operating in a decentralized, non-hierarchical community framework. Psychedelic naturalism defines here the intersection of ecological praxis, citizen science, and non-traditional knowledge production. The movement draws heavily from the foundational work of Paul Stamets, though practitioners often push back on the framing of fungi as an internet-like solution to all environmental woes, favoring a more grounded and sometimes skeptical approach to biomysticism and mycological potential.