Mushroom Identification, Beginning & intermediate

Thursday, May 21, COMC May meeting, 6:30-8 PM

Trinity Episcopal Church, 469 NW Wall, in downtown Bend

Many of you have asked for a class on how to identify mushrooms. We have asked Jon Sommer to share his wealth of knowledge on how to look at mushrooms so you understand the characteristics that are important for your safety and pleasure. Please join us for this informative presentation and to share your own recent mushroom hunting successes. It helps to hear how the season is progressing. Bring in fungi to the ID table, too!

From Jon’s email:

We will look at what mushrooms are, their role in the environment, and the bascis of  what you need to know in order to identify them. Discover the various types of spore-bearing surfaces along with all the important features you need to notice to start down the path of becoming a competent identifier. If you are a rank beginner or a seasoned forager, I promis you will walk away with something new.

Jon Sommer is a mycologist who has lead mushroom forays, given lectures on a range of mycological topics, and taught mushroom ID across the U.S. for more than 5 decades. He is a well-known speaker and presenter for mycological societies across the country. Jon received a BA in Botany at Humboldt State in California and two masters degrees from the University of California, Davis (Botany and Plant Pathology.) A resident of Colorado for 10 years, and now living on the Oregon coast. Jon has in-depth knowledge of fungi that fruit throughout our country, particularly in California and Oregon.  He is the immediate past president of the Colorado Mycological Society and is the current President of the Lincoln County Mycological Society in Oregon.