Clarissa Arana
Founder & President
Clarissa Arana is a Colorado-based mycologist, forager, and passionate citizen scientist, and the Founder and President of the Front Range Mycological Society (FRMS), a community-driven nonprofit dedicated to accessible mycological education, conservation, and citizen science.
With over a decade of experience studying fungal ecology, identification, and sustainable applications of fungi, Clarissa's work is rooted in both field-based learning and community science. She is especially interested in mycoremediation, fungal genetics, and the role fungi play in ecosystem resilience.
Clarissa is driven by a deep desire to make mycology more accessible, creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn about fungi as food, medicine, and ecological allies. She focuses on bridging the gap between scientific research and public engagement through hands-on education, foraging, and collaborative research.
Through FRMS, she is committed to building inclusive, grassroots spaces that support education, stewardship, and collaboration—while fostering the next generation of mycologists and environmental leaders.
Chris McSpadden
Events Lead
Chris McSpadden is a founding board member of the Front Range Mycological Society and a full-time mushroom farmer and forager based in Colorado. He is the founder of Mother Mycelium, an education-focused business centered on mushroom cultivation, foraging, and community outreach.
Chris is dedicated to sharing the world of mycology through hands-on learning, with an emphasis on ecological awareness and accessibility. He believes fungi play an essential role in addressing environmental challenges and fostering a deeper connection between people and the natural world.
Through workshops, guided forays, and educational content, Chris works to connect individuals of all experience levels with fungi—helping others explore, understand, and appreciate the vital role they play in our ecosystems.
Skyler Fly-Wilson
Secretary
Skyler Bright Fly-Wilson is a founding member of the Front Range Mycological Society. Raised in the High Rockies of Colorado, Skyler is a community mycologist and multimedia creator who has been immersed in the natural world from a young age and guiding forays across the Rocky Mountains since 2018. His mycological work focuses primarily on field identification, ethical foraging, data processing, and sharing the deep regional knowledge of these mountain ecosystems he has gathered over a lifetime to introduce the community to the vital, hidden networks of the forest floor.
Skyler is deeply invested in the digital frontier of citizen science, focusing on biodiversity mapping and leveraging data processing with observations from iNaturalist to meticulously document regional fungal distributions. His goal is to help transform casual foraging observations into valuable, long-term ecological records by stitching together field observations with public weather data from satellites and radar, bridging the gap between field-based learning, modern data tracking, research, and habitat conservation.
Through community involvement and independent media, Skyler is dedicated to fostering inclusive spaces that connect people deeper to their local ecosystems. This passion for interconnected networks naturally shapes his creative pursuits, including his sustainable hardware company, Hyphi, which embodies the open-source ethos and takes direct inspiration from the geometric patterns found throughout the natural world.
Uriah Beauchamp
Education Lead
Uriah Beauchamp is a forager, environmental educator and outdoor guide who is passionate about teaching real world skills in the great outdoors. He has had a keen interest in nature since he was young, when he could be found roaming the yard and neighborhood in search of mushrooms, plants and critters.
Uriah is a professional foraging guide who has been teaching everything from foraging and survival skills to mountain biking to organic farming and permaculture in Colorado. He has over 15 years of guiding and foraging experience in the outdoors.
His goal is to share the joy of foraging with as many people as he can. He wants to empower people to forage their own food and medicine and be more self-sufficient, sustainable, and connected to the land through the ancient traditions of foraging.
Andy serves as Treasurer of the Front Range Mycological Society, where he supports the organization's mission through financial stewardship and community engagement. He has been involved with fungi for over seven years, developing a well-rounded background in cultivation, wild foraging, education, and mushroom-based product development.
Andy is the founder of Grateful Mushrooms and Woodland Forager Jerky, where he focuses on creating accessible, functional mushroom products and sharing knowledge about their uses. His work emphasizes responsible practices, sustainability, and expanding public understanding of fungi.
Based in Longmont, Colorado, Andy is passionate about bridging the gap between traditional knowledge and modern applications of mycology, and is committed to helping grow an informed and engaged fungal community.
