MMS Waiver Release Form
Anyone who participates in MMS activities is required to read and sign the MMS Waiver Form. The Waiver Form protects you and the MMS by informing you about the potential dangers in mycology.
To complete your Waiver Release Form, do the following:
- Click on one of the links below .
MMS Waiver Release
Form
(html document)
MMS Waiver Release
Form
(Adobe Acrobat PDF file - 8kb)
- Print out the form.
- Read and Understand the Waiver Agreement.
- Sign and date the form.
- Return to the Membership secretary. You can bring it to any club meeting or event or you can return your form via mail:
Return Form to:
Minnesota Mycological Society
Attn: Membership Secretary
PO Box 14424
St Paul MN 55114
Why the Waiver Release Form?
The MMS Member Waiver Release Form, which all members are required to sign, is not meant to make members anxious or fearful about participating in the many and varied club sponsored activities. The Waiver form reduces the legal liability of the club and its members, it also serves as an annual reminder to our members of the need to be extremely cautious when in the field looking for wild mushrooms and when determining which wild mushrooms are suitable for eating. The Waiver form covers all incidents that might occur during participation in MMS activities and programs.
It is the goal of the Minnesota Mycological Society (“MMS”) to teach its members to become proficient in their mushroom identifications skills, appreciative of nature, and talented guardians of the natural environment. It is an ambitious goal and for this reason it is incumbent upon our members to wholeheartedly embrace and participate in this learning process by putting forth the necessary time and effort to help accomplish this goal.
The club’s forays are almost always scheduled for State Parks or similarly untamed natural locales. During such activities the search for mushrooms frequently requires one to leave the designated hiking trails and enter into the woods where the searcher must be particularly watchful for hidden terrain obstacles as well as certain natural inhabitants of the wild. When participating in a club foray it is also necessary to stay with the foray leader in order avoid becoming disoriented and possibly lost.
With respect to wild mushrooms, it cannot be too often repeated that a conclusive and certain identification be made of any mushroom before it is considered suitable for eating. There are just too many edible mushroom look-alikes to chance a mistake which could have serious health consequences. Even a mushroom that is usually considered an edible by most authorities may cause an adverse reaction when eaten by certain individuals. Caution is also recommended in the preparation of wild edible mushrooms for eating; no wild mushroom should ever be eaten raw, but should be exposed to substantial heating when being prepared for consumption.
Over the past 107 years the club has had thousands of members and all have safely participated in the club’s literally untold number of programs and activities. Remember that the application of common sense in mushrooming, as in all fields of endeavor and situations, leads to superior decision making and the ensuing good results. MMS looks forward to a long and rewarding relationship with all of its members and to its continued support of each of its member’s passion for learning about and experiencing the many wonders and pleasures available in the wilderness.
Thank you for your participation in the Minnesota Mycological Society!
Minnesota Mycological Society
A Society for the Study of Mushrooms and Other Fungi
info@minnesotamushrooms.org