Talk Description

After the sun goes down the forest doesn’t sleep, it goes wild. The chemistry of glowing mushrooms, the traffic of pollinating moths, and the work of decay, soil-building, and nutrient cycling all pulse around the clock. Mandie invites you to explore the nocturnal world where mushrooms, moths, and other night-shift creatures interact in ways humans are only beginning to understand. Along the way, she’ll share captivating images and stories from moonlit forays, spotlight surprising fungal-insect alliances, and equip you with practical tips for safely exploring ecosystems after dusk. Join Mandie on her birthday to experience this hilarious talk, which has been one of the most popular presentations at over a dozen mycology events in 2026.

Presenter Bio

Molecular biologist and science writer by training, Mandie Quark is a mycology researcher, field photographer, and communicator dedicated to expanding public understanding of fungi. With more than a decade of experience sharing fungal diversity, she brings together science, storytelling, and visual documentation to make complex topics accessible and engaging. She especially enjoys photographing and documenting rare fungi in under-explored biodiversity hotspots around the world.

Over the course of her career, Mandie has edited books, delivered talks at international mycology events, and built a reputation for translating current mycological research into compelling presentations for broad audiences. Through biodiversity forays in places like Ecuador, Peru, and Costa Rica, she helps connect global communities of nature enthusiasts with fungi and other inadequately documented taxa, with a special interest in fungal entomopathogens. In 2023, Mandie co-founded Mycena LLC, and since then her work has been featured in The Guardian and The New York Times.