Oregon Truffle Festival — January 25th-27th, 2008
It is the first festival of its kind in the English-speaking world, dedicated to sharing the experience of the chefs, foragers and fans of Oregon’s wild truffles—from their hidden source in the forest to their glory on the table. http://www.oregontrufflefestival.com/ The Cascade Mycological Society is an OTF sponsor.
Public Foray — Saturday February 9th, 2008
Join the Cascade Mycological Society on a winter foray led by mushroom veteran Joe Spivak. Help us gather wild edibles for the Fungal Feast the following Thursday and for your own table. Hedgehogs and winter chanterelles are the most likely species to be encountered. Meet at 10:00am at the Cottage Grover Ranger Station. Map Call Grace 505.6754 for more information.
Fungal Feast — February 14th, 2008
No reservations are required. For more information, please contact Kyle at 463-5260 or send email to hammonk@lanecc.edu
Jan. 10, 2008 – General Meeting
January 10, 7 PM. Jeff Stone will be presenting the talk ‘Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, the most common Oregon fungus you’ve never heard of and its effects on forest health’.
The meeting will take place at Lane Community College Building 16, room 115 (Directions).
For more information, please contact Kyle at 463-5260 or send email to hammonk@lanecc.edu
Mushroom Hike! Jan 5, 2008
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Discover winter fruiting and perennial fungi on a short, guided hike. In addition to basic identification, we will discuss the ancient use of mushrooms for food, medicine, and fire. Dress for cold, wet weather. Meet at the Dorris Ranch Barn at 11 a.m. Program runs approximately one hour. Program leader: Nathan Burke, living-history interpreter. Please call 954-7116 to preregister. 1/5 . . . Saturday . . . 11a-12p . . . $3/person* suggestion.
March 13th, 2008 7:00pm – General Meeting
The March meeting of the Cascade Mycological Society features Daniel Winkler. Daniel cover a topic related to his mycological explorations of Tibet.
The meeting will take place at Lane Community College Building 16, room 115 at 7:00pm (Directions).
For more information, please contact Kyle at 463-5260 or send email to hammonk@lanecc.edu
Mushrooms in Tibet – Daniel Winkler – MushRoaming.com
Tibet is famous for its absolutely stunning landscapes and its fascinating ancient culture. Maybe this abundance of attractions explains why its globally unmatched fungal economy has not received more attention yet. For centuries, Tibetans have collected and traded mushrooms; “Yartsa gunbu” (caterpillar fungus – Cordyceps sinensis) even functioned traditionally as a currency.
Improved communication and the commodification of natural resources have caused an astounding mushrooming of the fungus industry. The market is dominated by Yartsa gunbu, which accounts for over 95% of the fungi market value. In Tibet, it contributes 40% to the rural cash income. Its contribution to the GDP equals the whole manufacturing and mining sector. Currently it is the world’s most precious medicinal fungus reaching over $30,000 per kg. Every year in spring, Tibetans comb the alpine grasslands for this elusive fungus feeding on larvae, while forest down below are searched for “gugu shamo”, the “cuckoo mushroom” (Morchella spp.), which is exported to Europe.
During the summer, “besha” (Tricholoma matsutake) is collected to be flown fresh to Japan. Daily, entire villages with access to oak forests – hence the Tibetan name “oak mushroom” – collect besha for a 6-8 week period. An array of other mushrooms, such as Amanita hemibapha, Hygrophorus russula, Rozites emodensis, many boletes (Boletus, Leccinum), Cantharellus, and several species of Sarcodon and Tricholoma to mention a few, is also collected for the markets.
This presentation will combine Daniel’s fungal research with highlights from his recent “MushRoaming” tours to Tibet http://www.mushroaming.com/ ranging from familiar and exotic mushrooms, mushroom markets, local collectors to monasteries nestled at the foot of ice capped mountains.
Daniel Winkler, trained as a geographer and ecologist, works as researcher and NGO consultant on environmental issues of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas. He has published on forest ecology, forestry, land-use, and medicinal plants and fungi (see www.danielwinkler.com ). Since 1998, Daniel is tracking yartsa gunbu, researching Tibet’s mushroom industry and its importance for rural people. Daniel is also leading “MushRoaming” tours to Tibet ( www.mushroaming.com ). He lives in Kirkland, WA and has been a member of the Puget Sound Mycological Society since 1996. (Image from mushroaming.com, a Tibetan painting)
Paula Fong Design CMS 2007-2008 T-Shirts Are Here!
Local artist Paula Fong’s beautiful morel design has made its way to the 2007-2008 Cascade Mycological Society T-Shirt, available now at all talks and CMS events in a variety of earth-tone colors and sizes. Get your t-shirt soon before your size or color sells out.
About the artist: Paula R. Fong specializes in illustrating plants in their natural habitat. Her unique blend of detailed artistry and scientific accuracy has won her praise from both artists and scientists alike. CMS will be hosting a talk by Paula Fong on April 10th, 2008.
Paula is pleased to offer limited edition prints of her Pacific Northwest botanicals. The originals are in watercolor with pen & ink, on her website, Paula Fong Illustrations.
Ongoing CMS Student Scholarship/Grant
CMS has been proud to offer the Outstanding Research Project Scholarship since 2008. The scholarship is for college students (community college, undergraduate, or graduate) who are engaging in mycology research. The scholarship will be awarded for the research project that forward the understanding of the biology and ecology of fungi or that demonstrates the practical uses of fungi. The successful candidate will receive up to $1,000 and will be expected to present the results of her research at a CMS general meeting. Applications are due annually by March 1. For more information, please e-mail president@casecademyco.org.
Terry Gatchell: Dec. 13, 2007 at 7:00pm
December 13, 7:00 pm (note new start time) Terry Gatchell will be speaking on cooking mushrooms and (not) getting lost. The meeting will take place at Lane Community College Building 16, room 115 (Directions).
For more information, please contact Kyle at 463-5260 or send email to hammonk@lanecc.edu
CMS General Meeting, Foray and Workshop — Thursday November 8th, 2007
Ramaria Madness!
Spend a day enjoying the coral fungi of western Oregon. Ron Exeter, (Salem District Bureau of Land Management) invites you to a Ramaria foray, workshop & presentation.
Foray
The foray will commence from the Hwy 99W & Alpine junction @ 12:30pm on November 8th. This junction is just south of mile marker 99 and north of the town of Monroe. There is a large gravel parking area on the west side of the RR tracks. Beware there are two ‘cutoff’ roads from Hwy 99W to Alpine. The ‘cutoff’ road we are meeting on is the northern most one. At 12:45 we will head toward the Alsea Falls area and collect different species of Ramaria, chanterelles & whatever interests us. We will collect until approximately 4pm. At this time we will depart for Eugene.
Workshop
Ron will be available for a Ramaria identification workshop at Lane Community College Building 16, room 115, starting from approximately 5:30 until 6:45 (Directions). We will examine many of the specimens we collect during the foray. Microscopes and lab tools will be available.
Meeting
At 7:30 PM, Ron will present a powerpoint program on the identification of the Ramaria of western Oregon and point out the important diagnostic features of each species. If you have any Ramaria specimens to share, please bring them to the meeting. The meeting will take place at Lane Community College Building 16, room 115 (Directions).
All are welcome to attend any or all of these activities.
For more information, please contact Kyle at 463-5260 or send email to hammonk@lanecc.edu
Siskiyou Field Institute Mushroom Course — November 9th-11th–Selma, OR
Autumn is mushroom season! The Siskiyou Field Institute invites you to explore our native fungi with botanist David Lebo. Come learn field identification, ecology, life cycles, and preferred habitat of our plentiful mushroom flora. This three-day course includes field outings in the Illinois valley and along the southern Oregon and northern California coast. All skill levels are welcome! Course fee includes one night at the Redwood Youth Hostel. November 9-11. Tuition: $140. For more information or to register contact SFI at (541) 597-8530 or visit http://www.thesfi.org/
Mushroom Foray — Saturday, November 10th, 9:00am
Join CMS members Molly Widmer and Chris Melotti for a fun and educational guided mushroom hunt. Learn more about mushroom identification, ecology and habitat, and collect mushrooms for the table. Foray will most likely go to the Umpqua National Forest (Roseburg area).
Meet at the South Eugene High School by 8:45 for introductions and directions. We will leave at 9:00am sharp. For additional information, contact Grace at 541.5056754.
Forays are free and open to the public, but we hope you’ll consider becoming a member.