Fungi Foray

Relative to plants and animals, the diversity and significance of fungi is little known. Yet fungi are vital in creating and stabilising soils, nourishing and interconnecting plants, recycling nutrients, retaining and filtering water, restoring environmental damage and essentially underpinning ecosystem health and resilience. 

This workshop introduces participants to the diversity of the Kingdom Fungi and the basic principles of fungus identification, including fungi from the various local habitat types and those from further afield. In addition to their ecological significance, we will also discuss various cultural aspects of fungi such as edibility and toxicity and their use in land restoration.

Following an interactive indoor session around the specimen table, we will then head to a local field site to search for fungi of interest.

Our enthusiastic presenter, Alison Pouliot, BA (Philosophy), BSc Hons (Zoology), PhD (Ecology/Mycology) is an ecologist, professional environmental photographer and author with a focus on fungi. Her work spans both northern and southern hemispheres where she is actively involved in teaching, research and conservation. Alison is author of The Allure of Fungi, Wild Mushrooming, and Underground Lovers: Encounters with Fungi. For more information on Alison, head to www.alisonpouliot.com