North American Truffling Society

What is NATS? Founded in 1978, the North American Truffling Society is a non-profit organization based in Corvallis, Oregon, that brings together amateurs and professionals who are interested in hypogeous (belowground) fungi. The mission of NATS is to enhance the scientific knowledge of North American truffles and truffle-like fungi, and promote educational activities related to truffles and truffle-like fungi.

Why should I join NATS? NATS members receive foray announcements and meeting invitations by email, "The Truffler" newsletter, and the peace of mind that comes with supporting the NATS mission. All meetings are open to the public, but some forays are members only.

How do I join NATS? Annual membership dues (USD): $20 for the first family member, $10 for each additional family member in the same house over the age of 18 years of age. Children under the age of 18 in the same household are free. Businesses: $20 (USD). International memberships (USD): $20. You can join online, or download a membership form. NATS membership dues (and contributions to the Henry Pavelek Sr. Scholarship Fund) are fully tax-deductable.

Meetings: Most meetings are offered in person at OSU's Cordley Hall, Room 2602. Free parking is available in the lot at 27th & Orchard. All meetings are also available on Zoom, and with remote speakers sometimes only available on Zoom. NATS members receive an email link to the Zoom meeting; it's also posted on this website a day or two before the meeting.

Upcoming Events:

The 2025 Oregon Truffle Festival, Feb. 8 through Mar. 1: This year's Festival features a variety of events at a number of locations around western Oregon, from Eugene to Astoria. See their website for details.

NATS Hybrid Meeting - April 8, 7:00pm: The speaker will be Christopher Bivins, presenting "The Genetics Behind the Fungal Fantasies of Woodrats". Do you spend a lot of time wondering what kinds of fungi woodrats prefer? If so, you won’t want to miss Christopher Bivins, return to Corvallis to give participants a comprehensive picture of the kinds of fungi these rodents consume. Since last visiting NATS, Christopher has sequenced over 400 individual woodrat fecal pellets. Additionally, he’s compiled a review of various truffle taxa collected from the same regions as the fecal pellets. Find out what he plans to do with this pile of data in the future!

Christopher completed work for his master’s degree at Fresno State. He is currently a Ph.D. student at UC Merced where he works on a number of fungal ecology projects in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. This will be a hybrid meeting, in person and on Zoom. The in person meeting will be in OSU's Cordley Hall, Room 2602. Free parking is available in the lot at 27th & Orchard. NATS members will receive an email with a link to join the Zoom meeting, and for non-members a registration link will be posted here several days before the meeting.

Announcements:

Hot off the press: NATS has developed an "Ethical, Sustainable and Common Sense Guide to Harvesting Truffles". By following these guidelines to protect the truffle environment and minimize harvest of immature truffles, we can help to ensure the sustainability of Oregon truffling.

Truffle Dog Training: NATS offers truffle dog training courses periodically, depending on demand. If you are interested, please contact Marilyn Hinds to put your name on the list. We will schedule a training session when we reach quorum, so let us know!

New Oregon law (ORS 164.813) requires a permit to harvest and transport special forest products, including truffles and mushrooms. Deputies are actively enforcing this regulation and violators face substantial fines.

For additions or corrections, please e-mail the webmaster. Please read this website for your answers before making further inquiries. We post foray information as plans develop, and if it's not yet here, it's not yet available. Thanks!