Befriending Fungi (AM session)
Event Details
Ah, the fungus kingdom. According to scientists fungi are responsible for creating the first soils. This is the only way that plants were able to evolve into the complex vascular form they now have. In turn, mammals were able to move onto land. So you could say that we have much to credit fungi for. Indeed, you could say that all of inhabitable land is the fungus kingdom!
If you've wanted to dig into the rich world of fungi, naturalist and host-with-the-most Evan Holmstrom returns to offer this introductory course. A topic unlike any other in natural history, fungi require us to see them in a way that's completely different than mammal, bird, or plant ID. Evan will help us connect with observable fungi using our innate skills of observation and to build our visual vocabulary so that we can begin to notice the salient characteristics of one mushroom type or another.
We'll use direct observation as we explore the 100 Acre Wood in Fairhaven together. Hand lenses, diagrams and field guides will be provided for the course. Other topics include basic fungus ecology, the broader implications of fungus health, and probably some silly mushroom poems. Are you ready to have some fungi? (Sorry, had to!)
