Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist • Photographer • DNA-barcoding specialist • Citizen scientist
Field mycology, photography, Psilocybe, Southwest fungi, iNaturalist, citizen science and remarkable discoveries from across the Americas.
A Little Bit of Everything
Alan's Southwest Funga Fest presentation moves through field photography, Psilocybe of New Mexico and Arizona, iNaturalist techniques, fungi from Central and South America, and the practical workflow behind documenting fungi quickly and accurately.
Lecture / Talk • 50 minutes
Into the Field with Alan
Alan also joins Southwest Funga Fest as a Foray Leader, bringing decades of field experience, observation and identification practice into the festival's guided exploration of fungi in the landscape.
His combination of field mycology, photography, microscopy, DNA barcoding and citizen science makes the foray experience a natural extension of his broader work documenting fungal diversity.
“I'll go into my photography workflow — how I take good pictures quickly, Psilocybe of the southwest, iNaturalist tips/tricks, cool stuff from Central and South America, etc.”— Alan Rockefeller, Southwest Funga Fest speaker submission, August 12, 2026
Field Mycology Meets Modern Technology
Alan Rockefeller is a mycologist, photographer and DNA-barcoding specialist who has photographed more than 3,000 species of fungi.
He has spent more than two decades documenting mushrooms throughout North and South America, combining field observation with photography, microscopy, molecular tools and community science.
Alan has coauthored scientific papers describing new species of Psilocybe and bioluminescent Mycena.
He has also contributed more than 400,000 identifications to iNaturalist and Mushroom Observer, helping connect individual observations in the field with a much larger collaborative effort to document fungal diversity.
Seeing Fungi Differently
Alan's work brings together careful field observation and photography with modern identification tools. His Southwest Funga Fest program includes a look at how he photographs fungi quickly in the field while still capturing the details needed for useful documentation and identification.
From the fungi of New Mexico and Arizona to encounters across Central and South America, photography becomes both a creative medium and a practical scientific tool.
Psilocybe, New Mexico & Arizona
Alan plans to include Psilocybe of the Southwest as part of his wide-ranging presentation, alongside field observations, identification techniques and discoveries from other regions of the Americas.
The Nerdy Talk
Alan has also proposed a deeper technical session exploring the open-source computer programs he has written and uses for photography and DNA barcoding.
That includes custom tools designed to process and upload large numbers of photographs quickly — an unusual behind-the-scenes look at the digital workflow supporting contemporary field mycology and DNA-based identification.
From Field Observation to Shared Knowledge
Alan's work demonstrates how platforms such as iNaturalist and Mushroom Observer can turn individual observations into part of a much larger body of community-generated knowledge.
His presentation will include iNaturalist tips and tricks, connecting practical field documentation with the broader citizen-science ecosystem.
Alan Rockefeller at Southwest Funga Fest
September 5–6, 2026
Nambe Falls Recreation Area
Northern New Mexico
Explore field mycology, photography, DNA barcoding, citizen science, Psilocybe and the technology behind documenting the fungal world.
See Alan Rockefeller at Southwest Funga Fest 2026
Join Alan for presentations, field exploration and a weekend of fungi, science, guided forays, hands-on workshops, citizen science, art, education and community in Northern New Mexico.