26 May 2011 – Fungi: Exploring a Forgotten Kingdom
Posted on 17 May, 2011 by Connecting Country
The first of Connecting Country’s 2011 free evening talks, Fungi: Exploring a Forgotten Kingdom, will take place on Thursday 26 May. The seminar will be held at the Campbells Creek Community Centre. Supper will be served at 6.30pm followed by the talk at 7 pm. Entry is free and members of the public of all ages are welcome. However, to give us an indication of likely numbers for catering purposes, it would be helpful if you could let us know by Friday 20 May if you are planning to attend: contact Krista on 5472 1594 or krista@connectingcountry.org.au
Mycena epipterygi. Photo By Alison Pouliot
Boletellus obscurecoccineu. Photo by Alison Pouliot
Fungi expert, Alison Pouliot, will be the speaker. She writes that ‘we are constantly surrounded by fungi; in the soil, in the air, in the rivers and oceans, the forests and deserts, and perhaps even between our toes. Following the torrential rains these last months we’re likely to be surrounded by even more. The Mount Alexander Shire has a rich diversity of fungi and is the ideal place for an autumn fungi foray. Due to the warm and moist soil conditions the first fungi are already poking through the earth. It looks like we could be in for a bumper season.
Fungi have provided enormous intrigue throughout history due to their qualities of being poisonous, hallucinogenic and mysterious. Some people regard fungi suspiciously due to their habit of suddenly appearing and then supposedly vanishing into thin air. Edible fungi have been eaten by numerous cultures for thousands of years. Here in the Shire we’re witnessing growing interest in wild edible fungi as a culinary speciality. However we also know that there are often poisonous imposters lurking nearby. Despite the many proverbs about the edibility of fungi, unfortunately none are true. The only way to positively identify an edible species is to know its specific characteristics as well as those of its potentially poisonous impersonators.
As well as being intriguing and tasty, fungi are also integral to life on the planet. They are essential to the survival of over ninety percent of plant species. The secret underground workings of fungi assist plants in accessing water and nutrients, ensuring forest health. If there were no fungi, there’d be no forests. Given that fungi underpin the survival of pretty much every terrestrial ecosystem on earth, it’s rather strange that we often talk about nature only as ‘fauna and flora’. We seem to have forgotten the third major kingdom, that is, the Kingdom Fungi.
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