Mushrooms of the West Coast - October 2019

Topics covered in this course include:

• Introduction to fungi - what are they, and what is their role in our forests?
• Essentials of collecting and identifying fungi in the field
• Edible, medicinal and poisonous fungi
• Cooking with wild mushrooms

Dr. Shannon Berch is a Research Scientist with the BC Ministry of Environment in Victoria and a founding member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society and the Truffle Association of British Columbia.

Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist who lives in Metchosin BC. His fields of study include BC's native plants, fungi and lichens. Andy is co-author of six field guides to plants of western North America, an Adjunct Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, and Vice President of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society.

Course Schedule:

Friday (7:00 pm - 9:00 pm)
• Introductory presentation for mushroom course participants - overview of wild mushrooms, different fungus groups, role of fungi in ecosystems & mushroom identification.

Saturday (8:30 am - 9:00 pm, with breaks)
• Field collection of wild mushrooms at field site.
• Sorting of mushroom collections, spore prints, microscope ID session.
• That Mushroom looks delicious! Will it kill me?

Sunday (8:30 am - 1:00 pm)
• Field collection and identification of wild mushrooms at field site. Group lunch and course wrap-up.