Continental Mycoblitz – Summer 2024

Sponsored by NAMA, Mycota, and the Hoosier Mycological Society, this is a great oppurtunity to contribute to citizen science and submit specimens for sequencing! The mycoblitz runs from Aug 9-18, 2024. See here for details  https://mycota.com/continental-mycoblitz/ Stay tuned for info about VMS related events. If you have questions feel free to email Jade Hopkins at jhop42@gmail.com.

Monthly Meeting: Urban Fungi

There’s Fungus Among Us: Urban “weed” Mushrooms and Immigrant Fungi Tuesday, September 10th @ Floral Hall Join us as founding member Paul Kroger takes a look at mushrooms growing in urban areas in landscaping and under street trees, fungi that often have come from elsewhere. Humans create habitats that are home to many common and some unusual fungi, adding diversity, beauty and interest to our city surroundings. Paul Kroeger has studied mushrooms for over thirty-five years and has many times served as President of the Vancouver Mycological Society. He has been involved in many projects and studies about diverse aspects of mushrooms, gaining knowledge about fungal ecology, biochemistry of toxic, hallucinogenic, medicinal, and edible mushrooms. Years of experience have created unique insights and understanding of fungal life-ways and interactions in temperate ecosystems. Doors at 7, Talk at 7:30 As always, we would love to see your specimens at our monthly mushroom table for identification and admiration. Be sure to check out what fungal finds are at the September display. Love the talk? Your VMS membership allows you to access an archive of several past talks on our website for your marathoning pleasure. As always, masks are encouraged in indoor spaces and for all in-person events!   VMS is still hybrid […]

Manning Park Foray

Manning Park Foray: information about tickets and details will be emailed out closer to the time, stay tuned!

Oct 8 Meeting: Modern Biology

Tarun Nayar Modern Biology has brought 'plant music' to the masses. Originally educated as a biologist, veteran musician Tarun Nayar brings his passion for nature and sound together in an ambient project that is organismic, immediate, uplifting, and deeply contextual. He uses modular synthesis, home built synthesizers and other analog equipment to improvise with the natural vibrations of a certain place and time - via plant bioelectricity, latent electromagnetic radiation, and even the earth’s resonant hum. Trained from childhood in Indian classical music, he uses the system of Indian raga to mold his musical choices for time of day and season. His performances are an effort to bring the listener into the present moment through vibration, space, and connection. His work has been viewed over 200 million times and amassed him over 1 million followers on social media, has been featured by The Guardian, BBC, Genius, Vice, The Verge, LA Times and Times of India among others, and one of his ambient works opens the new album, Moonchild Era, by Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh. His recent albums have received editorial support on Spotify’s Music for Plants, Deep Listening, and Lava Lamp playlists. Recent performances include the Museum of Contemporary Art […]

Show Collection Urban Walk

If you don't have a car or are not planning on leaving the city to gather, a few of us will be conducting an urban survey on foot in Mt. Pleasant on Friday the 11th. We will collect specimens that we find and investigate connections between our city landscape and fungi. The group will meet at Riley Park Community Garden (50 E 30th Ave) at 11, and walk around the neighborhood before concluding at the Fish Counter on Main Street at around 1. If you would like to join us for this 2 hour walk, please let me know at president@vanmyco.com

Continental Mycoblitz – Fall 2024

Sponsored by NAMA, Mycota, and the Hoosier Mycological Society, this is a great oppurtunity to contribute to citizen science and submit specimens for sequencing! The fall mycoblitz runs from Oct 18-27, 2024. See here for details and stay tuned for VMS related events: https://mycota.com/continental-mycoblitz/ If you have questions feel free to email Jade Hopkins at jhop42@gmail.com.

Richmond Nature Show

RICHMOND SHOW NOV. 10 Richmond Nature Park is teaming up with VMS to bring back the annual Richmond Mushroom Show on November 10th from 10-4. Don't miss out on this family-friendly event before mushroom season is over. We are still in need of some last minute volunteers! If you are interested in educating the public about fungi in a great setting, please get in touch with Vivian at info@vanmyco.com

Pacific Spirit Walk and Po Kong Dinner

Nov. 11th: Pacific Spirit Walk & Po Kong Dinner🥢 We will have an easy walk in the forest on November 11th at 12:30 to look at the fungi of Pacific Spirit Park. Our mushroom experts will identify the specimens we encounter and talk about the fungal associations within our local ecosystem. Come join us to celebrate the season before it gets too cold! Please sign up here before we fill up: https://forms.gle/iJdSDYJRU5uUpJuN6 -- Our much-anticipated Po Kong dinner will be returning on Monday Nov. 11 at 6:30. Every year, we gather at Po Kong Vegetarian Restaurant to celebrate culinary mushrooms. Po Kong notably has a menu that features many fungi, including stinkhorn, lion's mane, enoki, wood ear, and more. How it Works: We will reserve 50 seats, 10 people per table. Each person orders 1 mushroom dish and all the food is shared family style. After the meal, the bill is divided by 10 with your tablemates. The individual bill averages $20-30, not including beverages. Cash is preferred to limit our queue for a card reader. The restaurant is located at 1334 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5V 3E4 Street parking is available but limited. Please sign up to secure your spot: […]

Nov. 12th: Monthly Meeting Fruits of the Forest

Nov. 12th: Monthly Meeting Tuesday, November 12th @ Floral Hall Daniel Winkler will be making his return to Canada to bring us: Fungal Fruits of the Forest - Choice Edible Mushrooms of the PNW Daniel will present our choice edible mushrooms such as chanterelles, hedgehogs, king boletes, morels, bear’s head and cauliflower mushroom which are easy to identify, helping one to overcome mycophobia and truly appreciate wild mushrooms. In this richly illustrated presentation, Daniel will help you get to know, identify and find many great edible mushrooms while steering you clear of dangerous look-alikes. By the example of enjoyable edible fungi, Daniel will open for you the gates to the kingdom of fungi and elucidate their ecological functions and diversity in lifestyles. A key component in finding your mushrooms is getting to know their preferred habitat and their seasonality. Daniel will share lots of new insights from his new 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. About Daniel: Daniel grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms in the Alps and is sharing his enthusiasm […]

Entomopathogenic Fungi of Eastern North America (ON ZOOM)

About Rowan Nygard: Rowan Nygard grew up exploring the creeks and forests around the Eno River in Durham, North Carolina. There he found a deep appreciation of nature and a desire to know more about the natural world around him. As a photographer and community scientist, he has immersed himself in the study of ecology, with a focus on mycology and the ways that plants, animals, and fungi interact. Rowan is a passionate educator and hopes to demystify the minutiae so that everyone can better witness the magic of ecology. Entomopathogenic Fungi of Eastern North America Tuesday, December 10th online via Zoom @ 7pm PST This lecture is based on a niche evolutionary group of fungi that infect and kill insects, resulting in incredible ecological interactions and beautiful, sculptural fruiting bodies. Over the last three years Rowan has found 20 undescribed species of Entomopathogenic fungi in Southeastern Pennsylvania and further south in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Gain the tools necessary to make informed and appreciative scientific observations of your own! Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82330792028?pwd=r9Pc4f6C1d4yhBDBCPq8EgxfravWPZ.1 Meeting ID: 823 3079 2028 Passcode: 987996