Intro to Mushroom Identification, October, 2008

The Northwest Environmental Education Council presents:

Intro to Wild Mushroom Identification in the North Cascades
An overview of wild mushroom species, edibility/toxicity, and field identification methods

Course ID: BIO - 302
Friday - Sunday, Short Course / Retreat
October 3 - 5, 2008, (2.5 Days)
Wallace Falls State Park
Huston Camp & Conference Center
14725 Ley Road
Gold Bar, WA 98251
Directions
Instructor: Thom O'Dell, Ph.D., Mycologist

Register Online | Directions

Description: The course provides an introduction to wild mushroom identification. Emphasis is on basic identification skills of wild mushrooms, including edible mushrooms and their poisonous look-alikes. Students will learn what to look for and terminology used to distinguish common mushrooms and relatives. Basic fungal biology and ecology will be discussed. Advanced students are welcome and would also benefit from the class.

About the Instructor: Thom O’Dell has over twenty five years experience collecting, studying, growing and eating mushrooms. He has many publications including scholarly papers, books, chapters and field guides. He received his Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State University in 1992 and conducted field ecological studies in Olympic National Park as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow. Thom was the first regional mycologist for the USDA Forest Service where he supervised surveys for rare fungi and trained federal botanists in their identification. He currently works for The Remediators Inc., a soil bioremediation company in Port Angeles, WA commercializing methods to clean contaminated soil using fungi.

Course Topics:

Friday - October 3, 2008, 10:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.

10:00 – 10:30 Introductions, course objectives, safety

10:30 – 12:30 Intro to mushroom identification,
            fungi and mushrooms – what are they?
            gilled versus non-gilled mushrooms
            overview of identifying characteristics
            Is it edible?
-LUNCH

13:00 - 16:00 Field trip around Camp Huston/Wallace River

16:00 – 19:00 Lab, Specimen ID, focus on non-gilled fungi

Saturday - October 4, 2008, 8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.

08:00 – 09:00 Fungi of the North Cascades

09:00 – 14:00 Field trip to Wallace Falls
-LUNCH

14:30 – 18:00 Specimen ID, focus on gilled fungi, demonstration of microscopy and microscopic features

Sunday - October 5, 2008, 8:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

08:30 – 11:30 Lab

11:30 – 12:00 Closing remarks, course evaluations
-LUNCH

Intended Audience: Nature enthusiasts seeking an improved edible mushroom identification skills. This class has a 15 people maximum.

Course Materials: Each participant will receive a copy of the course proceedings including notes and reference material on the first day of the course.

Required Textbook: Arora, David. All That the Rain Promises, and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms, buy this book.

*Additional reference material will be provided.

Continuing Education Units: 2.0

What to Bring: Please bring a sack lunch for Friday, a water bottle and appropriate clothing as much of this class is outdoors. Click here to see a complete list of items we recommend you bring.

Registration: Early Bird registration is $350 before September 1, $425 thereafter. Registration includes accommodations, food, and course materials. You may register via the link below or by calling the Northwest Environmental Education Council at 206-923-1980.

Registration and Payment Policy: All registrations cancelled before 5 P.M. on September 8, 2008 are fully refundable. All registrations made between September 9, 2008 and September 22, 2008 are 50% refundable until 5 P.M. on September 22th. The registration fee becomes 100% non-refundable on September 23, 2008. Registrations may occur up to the day prior to the course provided that space is available. Maximum number of attendees is 18.