Call for CMS Mushroom Festival Volunteers

Published · Updated

collecting mushroomsDid you know that the amazing mushroom display at Mount Pisgah Arboretum’s (MPA) Mushroom Festival is entirely collected, identified, displayed and interpreted by CMS volunteers? (Of course, we have wonderful guest experts assist us with identification.) You can help! Here’s how…

Collect mushrooms

CMS will be organizing special forays to collect mushrooms for the show – watch the CMS website for details. You can also collect mushrooms on your own and bring your treasures to MPA’s White Oak Pavilion on Saturday, 10/26, between 10 am and 3 pm.  Will your huge Cauliflower Mushroom, fresh young Stinkhorn, or picture-perfect Scaly Pholiota win “Best of Show?”

Help set up on Saturday

You can help place mushrooms in the display, hang posters and signs, set up educational displays, and organize the CMS booth. You don’t need to sign up to help out, just show up at the White Oak Pavilion on Saturday, 10/26, between 10 am and 2 pm.

Help set up on Sunday

Sunday morning, 8:30 – 10:00 AM is always a scramble to clear, clean and organize before the show opens. Again, just come early and we’ll gratefully put you to work. Help share the fungal fun – booth volunteers talk to people about the CMS mission and upcoming events. You can also help sell T-shirts, which supports CMS activities and scholarship fund.

Help clean up on Sunday

When the show ends at 5 pm, we need volunteers to take down signs and posters, collect and organize labels, and collect label holders.

Take on a project

We are always seeking to improve the experience for visitors. Here are some current needs:

  • Update the signs. We need someone with an eye for design to create attractive new signs. Our signs used throughout the display are ~10 years old and getting a little tattered. This project entails designing new signs using a word processing or graphics program then getting the signs printed and laminated. We will provide a list of needed signs.
  • Update the “Fun Fungal Facts” display. This project entails designing an interpretive display that covers one or two tables. Ideally, the display would be reusable for future shows. We can provide ideas and some draft content.
  • Create a new display table. Do you have a particular interest and expertise in mushroom cookery, medicinal mushrooms, introductory mushroom ecology, identification, or other topics? If so, you can share your knowledge by creating a small, attractive, engaging, and interactive educational display. Ideally, the display will be designed to be reusable in future years. We are particularly interested in:
  • Myco-cooking. Due to logistical issues, we won’t be doing any cooking demonstrations this year. Yet, we know that people are “hungry” for information! We would like to create a small display with cookbooks, dried mushrooms and tips for cleaning, preserving and cooking with mushrooms.
  • Medicinal and/or myco-remediation mushrooms. People are intrigued with the idea that mushrooms can be used to heal people and the planet. This display could feature a few specimens and/or photos and describe what the mushrooms are used for.
  • Other ideas? Propose them to us!

Contact Peg Boulay for more information on all tasks except the CMS booth. To help with the CMS booth, contact Kristen Liberty.

Tags:

You may also like...