Terms of Service

Last updated: February 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Futurespore (futurespore.com), including our blog (The Mycelial Grimoire), community forum (The Mycelial Network), newsletter, and any related services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the site.

These terms apply to all visitors, users, subscribers, and forum members. We may update these terms from time to time, and your continued use of Futurespore after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

2. Description of Service

Futurespore is an educational platform rooted in solarpunk philosophy. We publish content about sustainability, herbalism, foraging, regenerative gardening, mycology, and the intersection of nature and technology. Our services include:

• The Mycelial Grimoire — our blog covering solarpunk living, plant knowledge, and ecological literacy
• The Mycelial Network — a community forum for discussion and knowledge sharing
• Newsletter — periodic dispatches with new content, project updates, and curated resources
• Plant Badge Pledges — optional subscription-based support tiers
• Resources — curated links, guides, and educational materials

3. User Accounts

To participate in The Mycelial Network forum, you must create an account. When you register, you agree to the following:

• You must be at least 13 years of age to create an account. If you are under 18, you should have permission from a parent or guardian.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. Do not share your password with others.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must provide accurate information during registration. Impersonating another person or entity is not permitted.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

4. User-Generated Content

When you post content on The Mycelial Network forum (including posts, comments, and profile information), you retain ownership of your content. However, by posting, you grant Futurespore a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, distribute, and store your content as part of operating the platform.

You agree that your content will not:

• Contain illegal, threatening, defamatory, or harassing material
• Infringe on the intellectual property rights of others
• Contain spam, advertisements, or solicitations without permission
• Include malicious code, phishing links, or any content designed to harm others
• Promote dangerous or reckless behavior related to plant consumption, foraging, or self-medication

Futurespore reserves the right to remove, edit, or moderate any user-generated content at our discretion, without prior notice, if we believe it violates these terms or is otherwise harmful to the community.

5. Subscriptions & Payments

Futurespore offers optional paid subscriptions (Plant Badge Pledges) processed through Stripe. By subscribing, you agree to the following:

• Recurring billing: Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or as specified at the time of purchase). Your payment method will be charged automatically at the start of each billing cycle.
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through the Stripe customer portal. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period — you will retain access to your subscription benefits until then.
• Refunds: Pro-rated refunds may be issued within 7 days of a charge at our discretion. To request a refund, contact us at info@futurespore.com. After 7 days, charges are generally non-refundable.
• Price changes: We may adjust subscription pricing with reasonable notice. Existing subscribers will be notified before any price change takes effect.

Futurespore does not store your payment information directly. All payment processing is handled securely by Stripe. For details on how Stripe handles your data, see Stripe's Privacy Policy.

6. Educational Content Disclaimer

This is important. Please read this section carefully.

All content published on Futurespore — including blog posts, forum discussions, resource guides, and any information related to herbalism, foraging, plant identification, plant medicine, nutrition, gardening, or mycology — is provided for educational and informational purposes only.

Futurespore content is not medical advice. Nothing on this site should be interpreted as a diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease or medical condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using any plant medicinally, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a pre-existing health condition.

Futurespore content is not professional nutritional advice. Information about edible plants, wild foods, and nutrition is educational in nature and should not replace guidance from a licensed dietitian or nutritionist.

Foraging and plant identification carry inherent risks. Many edible plants have toxic look-alikes. Misidentification can result in serious illness or death. Futurespore strongly recommends:

• Never consume any plant you have not positively identified using at least two reliable, independent sources (field guides, experienced foragers, or botanical professionals).
• Learn from experienced foragers in person before harvesting wild plants on your own.
• Start with small quantities of any new wild food to check for individual sensitivities or allergic reactions.
• Be aware of local regulations regarding foraging on public and private land.
• Avoid foraging in areas that may be contaminated by pesticides, heavy metals, or pollutants (roadsides, industrial sites, treated lawns).
• When in doubt, leave it out.

You assume all risk associated with the use of any information found on Futurespore. By using this site, you acknowledge that Futurespore, its contributors, and its founder are not liable for any adverse effects, injury, illness, or damages resulting from the application of any content published here. You are solely responsible for your own decisions regarding plant identification, consumption, and use.

7. Intellectual Property

All original content on Futurespore — including text, images, illustrations, design elements, code, logos, and branding — is owned by Futurespore and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our content without express written permission, except for:

• Personal, non-commercial use (e.g., saving an article for your own reference)
• Sharing links to our content with proper attribution
• Brief quotations with attribution for commentary or review purposes

User-generated content (forum posts, comments) remains the intellectual property of the user who created it, subject to the license granted in Section 4 above.

8. Prohibited Conduct

When using Futurespore, you agree not to:

• Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Impersonate any person, entity, or Futurespore staff
• Post spam, unsolicited advertisements, or promotional content
• Upload or transmit malicious code, viruses, or any harmful software
• Attempt to scrape, crawl, or data-mine the site or its users' information through automated means
• Attempt to circumvent security measures, access restricted areas, or exploit vulnerabilities
• Use the platform for any illegal purpose or in violation of any applicable laws
• Interfere with or disrupt the operation of the site or other users' experience

9. Limitation of Liability

Futurespore and all of its content, services, and features are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Futurespore, its founder, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the site, including but not limited to damages for loss of data, revenue, or personal injury.

Our total liability for any claim arising from these terms or your use of the site shall not exceed the amount you have paid to Futurespore (if any) in the twelve months preceding the claim.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to Futurespore at any time, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms of Service or engaged in conduct that is harmful to the community, the platform, or other users.

Upon termination, your right to use the platform ceases immediately. Any provisions of these terms that by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, limitation of liability, and disclaimers) will remain in effect.

If you wish to delete your account, you may do so through your profile settings or by contacting us at info@futurespore.com.

11. Changes to Terms

We may revise these Terms of Service from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we may provide additional notice through the site or our newsletter.

Your continued use of Futurespore after any changes to these terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please discontinue use of the site.

12. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of Futurespore shall be resolved in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please reach out:

Email: info@futurespore.com
Contact form: futurespore.com/contact