Exploring the Mycoverse: Disaster MycoPsychology – Weaving a Web of Resilience

Exploring the Mycoverse Presents...

Maya Elson on Disaster MycoPsychology: Weaving a Web of Resilience

Organized and hosted by Aaron Tupac Sponsored by Arlington Garden

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In the aftermath of devastating events—such as wildfires that tear through communities—we often face a cascade of less visible disasters: housing instability, toxic exposure, illness, and deep psychological trauma. Yet within these challenges lies the potential for healing and transformation. This workshop invites us to explore how Fungi can guide us in holding each other’s needs and reconnecting with our ecosystems. Through building relationships with these remarkable organisms, we can support inner healing, decolonization, rewilding, and a deeper sense of belonging—both within human communities and the natural world. Together, we’ll engage in somatic practices to form “mycelial connections,” drawing inspiration from the ecological roles of Fungi as we reflect on our own. We will collaborate with Fungi to symbolically and practically decompose the trauma of wildfire and cultivate both personal and collective resilience in the face of disaster. Maya Elson (they/she) is a co-founder of Radical Mycology, and has started Applied Mycology groups in Olympia, WA and the San Francisco Bay area. Maya was the Executive Director of CoRenewal from 2016-2021, where they supported research in Regenerative Mycology. They are the co-founder and Program Coordinator of the Post Fire Biofiltration Initiative, an effort and experiment using fungi to prevent toxins from burned homes from entering waterways in Central California after the 2020 wildfires. Maya has also played a central role in four studies that seek to develop methodologies for applying inocula post fire for erosion control, toxin mitigation, forest fuels reduction and ecological regeneration. Maya is a consultant for Maui Bioremediation Group and is supporting the Southern California Post-Fire Bioremediation Coalition. At UC Santa Cruz, Maya is a guest instructor and researcher developing educational programs that expand our scientific understanding of the role of fungi for increasing wildfire resilience. At San Jose State University, Maya is a graduate student developing a nature-based method of wildfire hazard reduction with microbial inoculation called Biome Logs. Maya developed the term “Mycopsychology” as a modality for facilitating deeper connection with fungi for personal and planetary transformation, and runs a mycological education business called MycoPsychology Experiences.