Event:

Foraging for wild mushrooms has become a popular activity in Montana and across the country. The idea of free food from forests and meadows is appealing, but a wrong choice for the frying pan can be potentially deadly. There are dangerous mushrooms out there--and also lots of delicious ones! This presentation covers how to get started collecting wild mushrooms, including how to find them, how to pick them, and how to identify them. Choice Montana edibles such as King Boletes, chanterelles, morels, hawk wings, lion’s mane, oysters, and more, are shown in full color and their edible properties described. The general rules for eating wild mushrooms are also important to know. Lastly, a few of the toxic species to be avoided, especially those that have caused poisonings in Montana, will be discussed. Further resources for wild mushroom hunting in Montana are provided. Learn about the diversity of mushrooms in our state and how they promote ecosystem health!

• Presenter Bio - Dr. Cathy Cripps: Cathy is mycologist and professor at Montana State University where she teaches and does research on fungi. She earned her BS from the University of Michigan and PhD from Virginia Tech. Her research on mushrooms that survive in Arctic and alpine habitats has taken her to Iceland, Svalbard, Norway, Greenland, the Austrian Alps, Finland, and our own Rocky Mountains. The use of mycorrhizal fungi to promote whitebark pine restoration at high elevations is another research focus. She is lead author of “The Essential Guide to Rocky Mountain Mushrooms by Habitat”, editor of “Fungi in Forest Ecosystems” and “Arctic and Alpine Mycology 8” and has authored numerous scientific papers. With over 40 years of experience collecting mushrooms, first as an amateur when she lived in a cabin in Colorado and later as a professional leading forays and teaching field classes in Montana, her love and enthusiasm for the Rocky Mountains and its fungal creatures runs deep.

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