Boston Flora

Tag: Fungi

  • Monday, April 29, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Good Fungus, Bad Fungus

    John Klironomos, Professor of Biology at University of British Columbia – Okanagan, will speak to the public at the Arnold Arboretum on Monday, April 29, from 7 – 8:30 in the Hunnewell Building, in a program co-sponsored by the Boston Mycological Club. Fungi are found everywhere and play important roles in the environment. Some are decomposers (recyclers), others are parasites and pathogens, and yet others form mutualistic symbioses with plants and animals. In this presentation, the diversity and functioning of fungi in terrestrial ecosystems will be illustrated and discussed.  $10  for members of the sponsoring organizations, $15 nonmembers, and you may register on line at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

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  • Saturday, March 16, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Late Winter Mushrooms

    Join mycologist Lawrence Millman on Saturday, March 16, from 1 – 3:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham to discover what fungi can be found in New England at the end of winter.  Learn about survival strategies of these species, then walk through the Garden in search of some of them.  The underside of a log is the equivalent of a nice cozy chair in front of the fire for many fungi.  Copies of the instructor’s new book, Fascinating Fungi of New England, will be available for purchase.  $21 NEWFS members, $25 nonmembers. Register at www.newfs.org.

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  • Monday, March 5, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Mushrooms: Safe Foraging, Delicious Cooking

    Have you ever wondered about safe ways to hunt for wild and exotic mushrooms, or wanted to spice up supermarket varieties like crimini or portabello? If so, join president of the Boston Mycological Club, Susan Goldhor, and renowned Boston-area chef Chris Douglass, on Monday, March 5, from 6 – 8 at the Boston University Demonstration Room, 808 Commonwealth Avenue,  to explore fascinating fungi. Goldhor has been collecting and eating wild mushrooms—without a single stomach ache—for more than 25 years, and she writes a regular column for the magazine Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming. Chef Douglass is chef-owner of Dorchester’s beloved Tavolo and Ashmont Grill, as well as leading member of Chefs Collaborative and an active proponent and patron of local food producers. Together, Goldhor and Douglass will expand your knowledge of mushrooms and please your palate with mushroom dishes paired with wine. Cost $60.00.  Register online at www.bu.edu/foodandwine, or telephone 617-353-9852.

  • Monday, October 24, 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Wild Food: Foraging for Edible Plants and Mushrooms

    Join professional environmentalist and wild foods enthusiast Russ Cohen, author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, to learn about foraging for wild plants, followed by a walk outside at Wellesley College to see what might be available at this season. Keys to the identification of each species are provided, as well as information about its edible portion(s), season(s) of availability, flavor, and nutritive value, and some tips on preparation. Learn guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Tea will be served at 2 pm, followed by the lecture and walk from 2:30 – 4:30. This afternoon is co-sponsored with Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the New England Wild Flower Society, and the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture. $10 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $15 for non-members. Sign up at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or call 781-283-3094.

  • Tuesday, March 9, 6:00 pm – Compost Tea for the Home Gardener

    During this hands on demonstration at Long Hill in Beverly, Massachusetts on Tuesday, March 9 beginning at 6 pm, organic landscaper Javier Gil will teach the fundamentals of compost, soil microbiology, and why compost tea is the hottest new trend in gardening.  Compost tea is used to promote beneficial bacteria, add nutrients to the soil, suppress disease and fungi, and increase overall health in plants. Javier will demonstrate how to make your own compost tea at home with a few simple supplies.  Sponsored by the Trustees of Reservations, the fee is $8 for TTOR members, $10 for non members.  Call 978-921-1944, x 4018 to register, or email bzschau@ttor.org.  Driving directions may be found at www.ttor.org.

  • Saturday, November 21, 1:00 pm – Myxomycetes! The Enigma of Slime Molds

    In this illustrated talk, David Rose, past president of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA), will explore the natural history of myxomycetes, commonly known as “slime molds.” Slime molds are colorful harmless organisms that inhabit damp woodland environments. So perplexing to science that they have been classified variously as animals, plants, and fungi (they are actually protists), these organisms are remarkable for their delicate beauty and their surprising transformation from an animal-like to a plant-like stage. Though they are not mushrooms, slime molds reproduce by spores and have traditionally been studied by mycologists for their resemblance to the fungi.  The program will be held Saturday, November 21 beginning at 1:00 pm at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, Connecticut, and is free and open to the public.

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  • Sunday, October 18, 1:00 – 5:00 pm – Understanding Fungi: Mushrooms in the Wild

    Author-mycologist Lawrence Millman will lead a mushroom walk in Concord or Lincoln (exact location to be determined before the event based on conditions). However dry or unpromising the conditions, he guarantees that participants will find a minimum of 30 different species. You will learn to identify mushrooms both with and without a guidebook, and you’ll also unlearn everything you were ever told about how to distinguish a poisonous from a non-poisonous species. Be aware, however, that the focus of this event is scientific, not culinary. Bring a basket, wax paper, a pocket knife, a hand lens (if you have one), and – most important of all – a spirit of adventure. Please join us come rain or shine! Dress appropriately for weather.  Limited to 16. If students have questions for Larry Millman about the walk, call (617) 492-5861. Directions to Estabrook Woods from Concord Center, MA: Get to Concord Center and the Colonial Inn, in the heart of Concord Center. If you’re facing the Colonial Inn, take a right onto Monument Street and head toward the Old North Bridge. Take a left on Liberty Street, then right on Estabrook Road. After less than half a mile, take another right on Estabrook Road when it bends to the right. Go to the end of the road and park (space for cars on the left-hand side of road).  Cost – $76.

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