NOTE: All presentations will be held in the Squalicum Boathouse located in Zuanich Point Park in Bellingham, WA.

A Fungal Odyssey: Mushroom Movement Through Space and Time

Presented by Dr. Amy Honan

Fungi employ a myriad of strategies to disperse and colonize new environments. Fungal dispersal is a crucial to life cycles, influences fungal distribution, genetic diversity, and drives adaptations to changing environmental conditions. Therefore, dispersal contributes to fungal ecological significance and success. We will explore how fungi move through and manipulate the environment to ensure their continued success.

From Patch to Plate

Presented by Langdon Cook

Langdon will be presenting a “patch to plate” slideshow that illustrates popular fall edible mushrooms in both their habitat and cooked in finished dishes.

Choice Edible Mushrooms from the Cascades to the Himalayas

Presented by Daniel Winkler

Some of the best edible mushrooms in the world can be found in the Pacific Northwest. Interestingly many of these choice edible mushrooms like Porcini and other boletes, Chanterelles, Hedgehogs, Matsutake, Bear’s Head/Lions mane, Cauliflower mushroom, Oysters, Saffron Milkcaps. All of these choice edibles are fairly easy to identify, helping one to overcome fungophobia and truly appreciate wild mushrooms. Interestingly all these mushrooms are also collected and highly esteemed elsewhere, like in the Rocky Mountains, European Alps, and the Himalayas. And, yes there are many other good edible mushrooms out there much more difficult to identify. Daniel’s stunning images taken while Mushroaming far and wide document the appreciation of these delicious mushrooms. In addition, Daniel will share his experience on how to forage, identify, process and prepare these delectable mushrooms. Key in finding prime mushrooms is getting to know their preferred habitat and their seasonality. Daniel will share lots of new insights from his book “Fruits of the Forest – Handbook to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. In addition, Daniel is mixing in some fungal fun & facts from his ethno-mycological research and Mushroaming adventure travels.

Meet the Presenters

Dr. Amy Honan

Amy Honan teaches mycology for Oregon State University and is the co-founder of the Crested Butte Botanic Garden. Dr. Honan holds a Ph.D from the University of Washington where she studied the ecology and evolution of the stalked puffball Tulostoma. Her Master’s degree from San Francisco State University investigated the evolution of the saprotrophic genus Tetrapyrgos and as an undergraduate, she studies the root pathogen Armillaria. As a mycologist, Amy is currently focused on fungal biodiversity, evolution, and ecology and is passionate about fostering community engagement in documenting fungal biodiversity.

Langdon Cook

Langdon Cook is a writer, instructor, and lecturer on wild foods and the outdoors. His books include Upstream, a finalist for the Washington State Book Award, The Mushroom Hunters, winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award, and Fat of the Land, which The Seattle Times called “lyrical, practical and quixotic.” Cook’s work has been nominated for two James Beard Awards, a Society for Environmental Journalists award, and a Pushcart Prize. He has been profiled in Bon Appetit, WSJ magazine, Whole Living, and Salon.com, and his writing appears in numerous magazines, newspapers, and online journals, including National Geographic, Outside, Eating Well, and Seattle Magazine, where he was a regular columnist for a decade.

Daniel Winkler

Daniel grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms in the Alps and is sharing his enthusiasm as a mushroom educator, photographer and guide. The Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS), which he joined in 1996, was instrumental in exposing Daniel to mycology and inspiring him to bend his career towards mushrooms. Daniel published his “Fruits of the Forest – Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Edible Mushrooms” (available at mushroaming.com), a product of a lifetime of mushroom hunting with the last 29 years spent in the PNW. As an ecologist and geographer, Daniel focused on High Asia towards researching Tibet’s enormous fungal economy. His ethno-mycological Cordyceps research has been featured in National Geographic, New York Times, The Economist, NPR, BBC World Service, etc. In the last decade, Daniel started exploring neotropical fungi. With his travel agency, MushRoaming, Daniel has been organizing mushroom focused eco-adventures since 2007, current destinations are Bhutan and Colombia.