Mycological Society of Toronto

What Mycological Society of Toronto does

The Mycological Society of Toronto (MST) is a federally registered non-profit, volunteer-managed association headquartered at 110 Cumberland Street, Suite 255 in Toronto, Canada, focused on stimulating public interest in fungi and supporting wild mushroom conservation. It serves amateur mycologists, mushroom enthusiasts, and members of the general public in Southern Ontario, offering tiered educational experiences ranging from beginner "Welcome to Mycology" walks through advanced multi-day events such as the Cain Foray. The organization's core products include the seasonal Walks and Forays Program, the winter Speaker Series, the quarterly Mycelium newsletter (in its 52nd volume), educational and identification resources (Mushrooms of Toronto, Field ID guides, microscopy guides, cultivation guides), photo galleries, a member library, and occasional classes and workshops such as the newly launched Shiitake mushroom workshop. The underlying technology is minimal: a basic website (www.myctor.org) is used for membership management, event registration and check-in, newsletter distribution, and content delivery, with Google Analytics deployed for traffic measurement; no proprietary technology platform, app, or AI capability exists.

The business model is membership-based and donation-supported under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (Corporation Number 1000092-2). Revenue derives from annual membership dues and voluntary donations, with non-members welcomed at meetings to support top-of-funnel acquisition. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on volunteer-managed educational walks, forays, and meetings in Southern Ontario locations such as Presqu'ile Provincial Park, supplemented by a quarterly newsletter, a public email list, and social media. Customer segments are horizontal: primary amateur mycologists and mushroom enthusiasts seeking field identification and education, and secondarily the general public curious about mycology. The MST is a member of Ontario Nature and the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) and supports the Royal Ontario Museum's fungi collection, anchoring it within the broader Canadian and North American mycological and conservation community.

Name

Mycological Society of Toronto

Legal name

Mycological Society of Toronto

Website

https://myctor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mycological Society of Toronto is a federally registered non-profit, volunteer-managed association in Toronto, Canada that delivers mycology education to amateur enthusiasts and the general public in Southern Ontario through seasonal walks, forays, a Speaker Series, the quarterly Mycelium newsletter, and a member library, funded by membership dues and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mycology Education and Conservation Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAFAD

Wild & Cultivated Mushroom Foraging and Production

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Non-Timber Forest Products (Resins, Gums, Mushrooms, Berries)

Keywords

• Mycology education
• Mushroom identification
• Fungi conservation
• Nature walks forays
• Wild mushroom foraging

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The MST generates revenue through annual membership dues from its members. The organization is a federally registered non-profit corporation (1000092-2) under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mycological Society of Toronto is a federally registered non-profit, volunteer-managed association of amateur mycologists based in Toronto, Canada. Its core offering is a suite of educational programs on fungi and wild mushrooms, including seasonal guided walks and forays at multiple experience levels, a winter Speaker Series, the quarterly Mycelium newsletter, mushroom identification and cultivation educational resources, photo galleries, classes/workshops, and a member-only library.

Product overview

The Mycological Society of Toronto operates as a membership-based non-profit organization offering a suite of educational programs and resources focused on mycology (the study of fungi). The core offerings include: the quarterly Mycelium newsletter (available online publicly and in print to members), seasonal walks and forays program at multiple experience levels (Welcome to Mycology through Intermediate Field ID), winter Speaker Series with guest presentations, and comprehensive educational resources spanning mushroom identification guides, field identification materials, cultivation tutorials, and a member-only library. Additional member services include photo gallery hosting and educational classes/workshops. The organization primarily serves amateur mycologists and mushroom enthusiasts in the Greater Toronto Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Walks and Forays Program Educational nature walks led by volunteer guides to locations in Southern Ontario during the spring and fall mushroom seasons. The program offers multiple experience tiers including Welcome to Mycology walks for beginners, Intermediate Field ID forays, and advanced events such as the Cain Foray, providing hands-on mushroom collection, identification, and study for members.
• Speaker Series Monthly informative indoor meetings during the winter season featuring guest speakers presenting on topics associated with the field of mycology. Includes the current season's presentations and an archive of videos of past meetings. Non-members are welcome to attend.
• Mycelium Newsletter A quarterly newsletter published by the MST that keeps members informed about club meetings, walks, forays, and other events, and includes articles, recipes, and information on international mycological activities. The current issue is available online to the public and the print edition is distributed to members by postal mail.
• Education Resources Educational materials including the Mushrooms of Toronto guide (part of the City of Toronto Biodiversity Series), a 12 Easy Genera field identification guide, a Field ID of Gilled Mushrooms guide, a Spring & Summer Mushrooms of the GTA guide, and educational handouts such as mushroom colouring sheets for children.
• Identification Resources Resources for mushroom identification including Mushroom Hunting 101, Intro to Polypores, Field Species Checklist, Spore Printing guide, Mushroom Identification Key, and microscopy resources including Fungal Microscopy and Identification Microscopy of Gilled Mushrooms.
• Cultivation Resources Educational materials on mushroom cultivation including Home Cultivation, Cultivation on Hardwood, and History and Methods of Cultivation guides.
• Photo Galleries Member photo galleries showcasing fungi and mushroom photography, with the ability for members to upload, organize, and share their photos in collections. Includes galleries from ROM Fungarium visits.
• Classes and Workshops Educational classes and workshops on mycology topics for members, including a Shiitake mushroom workshop and other hands-on learning opportunities.
• MST Library A member-exclusive resource library containing books, publications, and reference materials available to MST members.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MST is a member of Ontario Nature, a provincial nature conservation organization. This membership connects the society to the broader environmental community in Ontario and supports the MST's conservation goals.
• North American Mycological Association (NAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MST is a member of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), providing connections to the continental mycological community and participation in broader fungal conservation initiatives.
• Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MST is a proud supporter of the Royal Ontario Museum's fungi collection, and members have contributed to documenting ROM Fungarium specimens. The society also maintains photo collections from ROM Fungarium visits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boston Mycological Club: Long-established amateur mushroom society in the Boston area. Directly comparable as a city/region-based membership organization running walks, forays, lectures, and species documentation.
• Mycological Society of America (MSA): Scientific professional society for mycologists in North America. Comparable as a peer organization promoting mycology through publications, meetings, and educational outreach, though more research-oriented than MST's amateur focus.
• Puget Sound Mycological Society: Amateur mycological society serving the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable as a regional society with a multi-tier foray program, speaker series, and member-published content analogous to MST's Mycelium.
• New York Mycological Society: Amateur mushroom society in New York City offering forays, identification workshops, and educational programming. Comparable metropolitan-scale peer to MST.
• Vancouver Mycological Society: Regional Canadian amateur mushroom society offering forays, identification resources, and educational programming. Closest geographic peer to MST with a near-identical operating model of volunteer-led field events and member education.
• Mycological Society of San Francisco (MSSF): Long-running amateur mycological society serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable peer operating walks, forays, classes, and publications for amateur mycologists.
• North American Mycological Association (NAMA): Continental-level amateur and professional mycological association of which MST is a member. Directly comparable as a membership-based society organizing forays, publications, and educational programming — just at a continental rather than metropolitan scale.
• Oregon Mycological Society: Regional amateur mushroom society in Oregon with educational walks, classes, and annual events. Direct peer in operating model and community-led mycology education.

Others

• Ontario Nature: Provincial nature conservation umbrella organization of which MST is a member. Adjacent peer in the conservation-education ecosystem rather than direct mycological competitor; included as a strategic ecosystem partner.

Regional players

• British Mycological Society: UK-based learned society for mycology. Comparable peer organization promoting fungal science and education, but geographically focused on the United Kingdom rather than competing directly with MST.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mycotoronto
• Facebookfacebook.com/myctor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mycological-society-of-toronto

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mycological Society of Toronto