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Wild Mushroom Festival popping up again in October

After two years of dormancy, the Quadra Island Mushroom Festival is set to fruit again this October.
8416865_web1_copy_Wild-Mushroom-photo-MarianMcMeekin

After two years of dormancy, the Quadra Island Mushroom Festival is set to fruit again this October.

The festival celebrates the wide variety of wild fungi in our coastal forests. Over the three-day event, both new and experienced mushroom enthusiasts will expand their knowledge of edible and non-edible species.

Festival organizers welcome as keynote speaker and workshop leader, Dr. Shannon Berch, Research Scientist with the Government of British Columbia, adjunct professor with Royal Roads University, and founding member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society.

“Participants in past events have been delighted with Shannon’s knowledge and enthusiasm; we are privileged to have her return to Quadra in 2017,” said Marian McMeekin of the Quadra Island Mushroom Club.

The Wild Mushroom Festival consists of two parts: an evening with a presentation and appetizers is part one; forays and identification over two days are part two. The Wild Mushroom Festival begins Friday, Oct. 13 at the Heriot Bay Inn with “Tales of the Chanterelle: A Mushroom’s Life in the Woods” a presentation by Dr. Shannon Berch, followed by wild mushroom appetizers.

The next two days, Oct. 14 and 15 are devoted to guided collection forays (Saturday) and an identification workshop (Sunday). Tickets are $25 for the Friday event, and $70 for Saturday and Sunday combined. To register for either or both parts of the festival, call the Heriot Bay Inn at 250.285.3322.

Additional information on the festival (e.g. what to bring for field trips) will be provided upon registration.

This fun and informative fungal event is co-sponsored by the Quadra Island Mushroom Club, the Quadra Island Outdoor Club, the Heriot Bay Inn, and the Quadra Community Centre.