You are hereSense of Place Lecture: Dr. Michael Beug - Mushrooms, Forests & other Ecosystems

Sense of Place Lecture: Dr. Michael Beug - Mushrooms, Forests & other Ecosystems

Start: 03/07/2012 6:30 pm

Sense of Place Lecture Series
presented by The Columbia Gorge Earth Center
Weds., Mar. 7th
6:30pm at Springhouse Cellar
(13 Railroad, Ave., Hood River)
Doors Open at 6pm

Dr. Michael Beug: Mushrooms, Forests, and other Ecosystems.
An Introduction to Mushrooms and their Ecosystem Roles with |Examples from the Pacific Northwest

About the Lecture

Critically observing mushrooms, possibly for the first time, can raise many questions like what is the nature of these organisms and what role do they play in the ecosystem? Sometimes the question may be which ones can I eat (for food or to get high)? What if I have touched a poisonous mushroom?

In this lecture, I will talk about how mushrooms comprise their own kingdom separate from plants and are actually more closely related to animals than to plants. You will hear about how diverse the fungal kingdom is and how long-lived (or ephemeral) the mushroom plant can be. You will learn about mushrooms that are good to eat, ones that are poisonous and ones that are simply fascinating to observe or to photograph. You will discover mushrooms that rot wood, are saprophytes, parasites, or are symbiotic plant or algae partners.

I hope to help you discover how fascinating a study of mushrooms right here in our own back yards can be. A famous local botanist Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksforf (1850-1932) of Bingen made over 150,000 botanical collections in this area including at least 10,000 mushroom accessions and yet in the past three years I have found close to 40 undescribed species of mushrooms just from one genus and all within 20 miles of Suksdorf’s home! Should you get inspired, there are certainly new discoveries awaiting you as well.

About the Speaker

Michael Beug taught chemistry, mycology and organic farming at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington for 32 years. He lectures to mushroom enthusiasts throughout the West and loves to teach beginners workshops. His mushroom photographs have appeared in over 30 books and articles on mushrooms. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) where he serves as Editor of the Journal McIlvainea, Chair of the Toxicology Committee, and member of the Education Committee. Michael was winner of the 2006 NAMA Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology and has prepared over two dozen PowerPoint presentations about mushrooms for the NAMA Education Committee. These programs are available free to NAMA members at www.namyco.org. Four of his introductory programs are available free to anyone at www.evergreen.edu/mushrooms.   Michael has served four terms as President of The Pacific Northwest Key Council, a group dedicated to writing macroscopic keys for the identification of fungi. His specialties are the genus Ramaria and all toxic and hallucinogenic mushrooms. He is also doing research on oak-associated fungi of the Columbia River Gorge, especially Cortinarius species. He is coauthoring a book on ascomycetes. He regularly writes about mushrooms in McIlvainea, The Mycophile, Fungi, and Mushroom: The Journal of Wild Mushrooming. He is on the editorial board of Fungi magazine.

About Sense of Place

Whether it is recreation, resource extraction or farming, most people who live in the Gorge are here because of the natural environment. Yet our connection to this place can simultaneously be the link that binds us and the fracture that divides us.

As the Gorge becomes increasingly popular for both locals and tourists, conflict over how best to manage this unique place becomes elevated. What is the cultural and environmental history that has shaped this landscape and our towns? What are the elements of this place that make it unique? How can citizens become more engaged in reducing future conflicts over issues we will face as the landscape and our communities continue to change?

Join the Columbia Gorge Earth Center as we explore these questions in the second annual Sense of Place lecture series. The series seeks to foster deeper connections to our landscape and to each other via speakers who represent a variety of industries and perspectives.

About the Columbia Gorge Earth Center

The Columbia Gorge Earth Center is a 10-year-old nonprofit based in Hood River with a mission to promote the connection of economy,ecology and community in the Columbia River Gorge by empowering citizens to make sustainable choices in the areas of energy, waste, food, and soon, transportation. CGEC does this by serving as an incubator for new environmental non-profits and by coordinating events that engage citizens about environmental issues.

More Info: www.cgec.org

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