Eric Van Vleet’s journey into mycology began while developing interpretive programs for Rocky Mountain National Park. This sparked a deep fascination that ran parallel to his doctoral research on the history of truffle cultivation in southwest France. His pursuit of fungi eventually led him to the temperate rainforests of Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks before a position with the United States Forest Service brought him back to his Midwestern roots.

Now based in Michigan, Eric is an MRAD-certified wild-foraged mushroom expert and a leader in community science, spearheading efforts to document the state’s biodiversity through DNA sequencing.