Do you love learning about mushrooms but have heard ‘Cortinarius’ are too hard? It doesn’t have to be that way! Shannon is here to spread her love of the Cortinariaceae and to give you resources to help you get to know the species in your area. She will give us an update on Cortinarius taxonomy (including new genera that have been proposed) pointers on distinctive sub-genera and resources that will empower you to learn more. During the talk you will get to know some of our Cortinarius ‘celebrities’ and have new resources to work with when you find these diverse and beautiful species in your backyard. Shannon Adams is a User Researcher in the tech industry who has a passion for the genus Cortinarius.  When she emigrated from Australia 20+ years ago she was struck by the diversity and beauty of Cortinarius species she saw in the Washington Cascades and started trying (and failing) to identify them. For the past 6 years she has been collecting and documenting species in the region and has over 1 000 Cortinarius collections in her personal herbarium. In 2021 she led publication of a new Cortinarius species – Cortinarius rufosanguineus has three other species in the publication pipeline and is currently collaborating with researchers on red-gilled Dermocybe.