Community Resiliency Series: Critical Issues of Our Times

Michael W. Beug, Professor Emeritus, Evergreen State College will speak to how he fell in love with mushrooms and will introduce attendees to the difference between the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota, the two large groups of fungi of interest to mushroom hunters, he will also describe the best edible mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest, where and when to find them, and how to distinguish them from potentially dangerous species. In this presentation, he will show the attendees how to easily distinguish morels from false morels, how and when to find true truffles in our region, how to tell a poisonous Amanita from a choice Matsutake, and what resources will help to identify a mushroom never seen before.

Dr. Beug taught chemistry, mycology, and organic farming at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington for 32 years. He is now retired and focusing on mycology and wine making, and lectures to mushroom enthusiasts throughout North America. His mushroom photographs have appeared in over 50 books and articles on mushrooms. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) where he serves as Chair of the Editorial Committee, Chair of the Toxicology Committee, and member of the Education Committee.