James Chelin is a computer science professional, coder and a small business owner in Colorado Springs. He is the mastermind behind, and creator of,
coloradomushrooms.com, an excellent online resource for mushroom identification. Don’t mistake him for your average computer nerd, however. James is an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman, as well.
James is a fungi identification ace, making him an excellent guide on forays. Since joining PPMS in 2019, he has led and organized nearly every foray for our club. He was featured in a
2011 New York Times article about mushroom hunting in Colorado, sharing his mushroom hunting capabilities. James’ late Aunt Tina–a resident of southern Colorado–taught James the basics of frontier mycology. James, in turn, is passing that lore onto his two teenage boys and to the many mushroom hunters who foray with the Pikes Peak Mycological Society.
In 2022, Mr. Chelin became Vice President of PPMS, and is the new 2024 President. Because of his rare gift of being able to organize large numbers of rabid mushroom fans, he still leads nearly all of our forays, and is the organizer of the annual PPMS camping foray. As if this wasn’t enough, he is capable of producing culinary miracles on a camp stove at 10,000 feet with wild foraged fungi and other edible plants.
James’ goal is to make PPMS an even more phenomenal club.
