Robbie Flynn was a founding member of the WMMA. She was passionate about foraging for mushrooms and in awe of their creative potentialities. Robbie was the famous mushroom woman of the Atlantic Hotel, educating people about mushrooms and taking them out on forays long before the WMMA even existed. As a graphic and mixed media artist, she was drawn to the craft potential of mushrooms, especially how they could subvert the use of plastic. Feeling particularly inspired by one of our mushroom paper making workshops, she decided that she wanted to support larger community efforts to uncover hitherto unseen abilities and possibilities of fungi and inspire people to creatively liaise with these amazing creatures to make their world a more beautiful, healthier place. This challenge is a part of her legacy. Without her, there may not be a WMMA, nor any of the activities that support fungal relationship and appreciation in our community. Thank you, Robbie, for making the path we walk that much more inspired.

MycoProducts and MycoRemediation Challenge

The Robbie Flynn Award is assigned annually for outstanding work in the field of Myco products and/or Myco remediation. Robbie felt that fungi are key to solving issues of pollution and that functional hyphae have undeveloped potential as packaging, filters, cosmetics, and building materials.

Submissions should:
  • Promote the use of fungal materials and processes
  • Be biodegradable, mitigate toxic wastes, or utilize waste materials to produce
  • Be non-food product related (if edible mushrooms are involved, that is fine, but the premise of the project can’t be growing edibles for eating)

The WMMA offers this award for both middle school and high school science fair students. The contest will include two separate cash prize awards, $200 for students under the age of 15, and $300 for students over 15.

Work will be evaluated by a panel of 3 judges according to:

  1. Creativity and application of concept
  2. Use and understanding of fungi
  3. Development and presentation of results

From turning waste into food to creating building materials, fungi are capable of providing us a myriad of useful products via their fruit as well as their mycelial mass. Fungi are constantly adding immense value to our planet and we can work together with them to clean up some of our worst messes as well as develop some of our best innovations. 

The Western Montana Mycological Association’s Cult Cult wants YOU to come up with the next great use of fungi! Do you have an idea that you think could have a positive impact on the world? Prove it! Everyone is welcome, youth are encouraged to enter! The WMMA will offer cultures (mushroom starters) and substrate (growth medium) support to any students who need guidance.

TO ENTER:

Any participants of the Montana State Science Fair whose project focuses primarily on Fungi will automatically be eligible to win this competition.

Entries are due by March 1st, 2024 via email to [email protected]

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