Britt Bunyard will present "From Lowly Saprobe to Mycorrhizal Masters: Amanitas (A Tale Told in the DNA)" An overview of all aspects (biology, taxonomy, chemistry, physiology) of the beautiful Amanita mushrooms of North America. Everyone is familiar with the mushrooms but how much do we really know about what they are doing in the forest? How much do we know about their history and evolution? It turns out that a recent discovery–using modern molecular biology–led to an amazing discovery about their evolutionary past. Amanitas are mycorrhizal symbionts with forest trees but come from saprobic ancestors. The story is told in their DNA. Newbies and non mycologists will not be overwhelmed; advanced mycologists will not be bored, this discussion is for everyone with lots of beautiful images.   Britt Bunyard, PhD, is the founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of the mycology journal Fungi. Britt has worked academically (and played very amateurishly) as a mycologist his entire career, writing scientifically for many research journals and popular science magazines. He has served as an editor for mycological and entomological research journals, and mushroom guide books. A popular evangelizer on all things fungal, Britt has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, PBS’s NOVA and […]

For our first ever virtual meeting / presentation (this coming Tuesday October 13), the VMS is excited to host a speaker from half-way around the world! Originally from Oregon, and now living in the mountains of Northern Thailand, Zachary Mazi is a professional chef and enthusiastic mycologist. Coming to us from the tail end of the local mushroom season, will be presenting on the edible fungi of the Lanna Kingdom. He is currently working on a book: Mycophagy: The Art and Science of Cooking (and eating) Mushrooms.     Members may check their email or log in to view the access link to this webinar   Members may now log in to watch the replay   As this is a webinar, your microphone and camera will be disabled by default, and you will not be able to turn them on.   PLEASE NOTE: We only have capacity for 100 attendees to join the live webinar. You may join as early as 7:25pm on Tuesday.   The meeting will be recorded, and the video posted to a private members-only page on the Vanmyco website. If you are unable to join due to capacity, or if you don't use Zoom, you'll still have […]

In this presentation, we will learn some of the most common and memorable mushrooms found in fall in the Pacific Northwest. We will focus especially on common edibles and how to tell them apart from poisonous or just otherwise tricky potential lookalikes, noting particular physical features and habitats that will help you to identify them on your own. Pre-registration is required for this webinar. Sign up at https://www.vanmyco.org/zoom-webinar-access/ Leah Bendlin is a Portland, Oregon based mushroom and community science enthusiast. She has been studying mushrooms with a passion for 9 years, and has special interests in taxonomy, uncommonly known edibles, mycoheterotrophic plants, slime molds, ascomycetes and social justice. Leah regularly leads mushroom ID classes and walks through various Pacific Northwest organizations and currently serves on the board of the Oregon Mycological Society. You can find her mushroom centered Instagram @Leah_mycelia

Our speaker, Christin Swearingen, is a mycologist volunteering for the Fungal Diversity Survey. She has degrees from Oberlin College (B.A.) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (M.S.), and mentorship from Dr. Gary Laursen (author of Alaska's Mushrooms). She is currently living in Fairbanks, working for the Interior Alaska Land Trust to protect natural habitat for all wildlife, including mushrooms. The West Coast Rare 10 Fungi project was launched in fall 2020 to find and document ten species of rare, threatened, or declining fungi. Scientists and conservationists need more data on these fungi in order to better understand and protect them and their habitats.

Local dairy-free cheese artisan, Karen McAthy (of Blue Heron Cheese Co.) will present on how fungi are a part of their process. This meeting will be held at VanDusen Floral Hall on Tuesday April 12 at 7:30pm. Masks are strongly encouraged.   Note: This will be a BLENDED MEETING, meaning that we will be live-streaming from VanDusen. This is our first attempt at this process, but we hope that the audio and video will be of acceptable quality, wi-fi permitting. If you prefer to attend via Zoom, please log-in and use the meeting link here: https://www.vanmyco.org/zoom-webinar-access/

VMS member Michael J. Hathaway draws from his recently published book What a Mushroom Lives For, the second book in an academic trilogy that began with Anna L. Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World. Moving from fungi as an enigmatic kingdom that transformed the ancient Earth to the realm of the fascinating matsutake mushroom on the Tibetan Plateau, Hathaway reveals the ways these mushrooms are creating their own multispecies encounters, with and without humans. This book challenges a legacy of human exceptionalism and human supremacy that is dominant in Western thinking and offers ways to notice the creative liveliness of all organisms, from mammals to mushrooms. Members: Log-in to attend online via Zoom, or join us in person at VanDusen Floral Hall Tuesday May 10 @ 7:30 PM

Upcoming meeting: September 13 Members Night! Year after year, we are amazed to learn of the different experiences and relationships our members have with fungi. Returning after a four-year hiatus, Members Night is when 3-4 VMS members give short, 10-15 minute presentations showcasing a fungal topic of their choosing (instead of committing to a full length presentation). Join us in person at VanDusen Floral hall @ 7PM, or on Zoom.