Congratulations to the Gary Lincoff Scholarship winners: Adrienne Perry and Thursday Azul Silverman

The NYMS 2026 Gary Lincoff Scholarship committee chose two of our members to send to the foray of their choice this year. Applicants were asked to submit a short essay explaining their mycological efforts to support their candidacy. The four member committee selected the winners, who are Adrienne Perry and Thursday Azul Silverman.

Adrienne Perry joined the NYMS only a year ago, but has already attended 27 walks and numerous lectures, ID sessions and the recent microscopy workshop. She has a strong interest in mushrooms as natural dye pigments and sought out Bethany Beech for advice and guidance. She quickly completed a series of dye experiments which were shown at Fungus Festival 2025 as supplemental materials to the dye demonstration and workshop. The experiments consisted of 6 individual fungi samples tested on 3 fiber types (wool yarn, silk fabric, cotton fabric), with varying mordants and pH modifications through the addition of ammonia or vinegar. The fungi were collected on walks in NYC parks. The test method reveals whether a mushroom readily yields dye, and which mordant and pH conditions result in colors the dyer might like to pursue for larger batches.

Thursday Azul Silverman, a Bronx native, became passionate about fungi during a visit to Purchase in the fall of 2021. They joined the NYMS in August of 2024 and quickly notched over 900 iNaturalist observations—most of them mushrooms, and most—over 600—for the two NYMS iNat projects. Thursday has contributed to the NYMS newsletter (cover photo, summer 2025) and has led or co-led several pop-up walks in Bronx and Queens this year. Thursday has volunteered for our Society events at the NYBG, Pioneer Works, Alice Austen House, and the Queens Botanical Garden. Though still exploring their mycological interests, Thursday does display a facility with lichens.

We congratulate the winners!