The Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy is thrilled to welcome you to the Lasqueti Fungus Fest! with Andy Mackinnon & friends on Thursday November 9th
Consider bringing with you:
- Appropriate garb for November weather
- Mushrooms to identify & discuss
- Fungi books or resources to share with others
- Cash for dinner and Andy’s latest book: “Mushrooms of British Columbia”
- A keen curiosity for the fungus among us!
This event is open to all and you will have the opportunity to donate or sign up for a LINC membership for $10-$20. All funds contribute to making events like these possible!
The Lasqueti Fungus Fest! is supported by funding from the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.
Schedule of Events
1:00-3:30
Meet at The Hall for 1:00pm where Andy leads a Community Mushroom Walk. We will learn about Ectomycorrhizal fungi and tree health: how mushrooms can serve as indicator species.
4:00-6:30
Reconvene at The Hall for a special autumn dinner on offer by Nico & Benja.
Menu:
Appetizer: stuffed mushroom caps.
Soup: butternut squash & coconut
Meal: mixed wild & basmati rice, mushroom & cauliflower pilau. Salad with grilled mushrooms.
Desert: chocolate torte & sweet potato pie.
(All food are gluten and dairy optional)
As well, there will be mushroom displays by:
- Mushroom Based Art
Valeria & family – will be sharing results of recent mushroom based and mushroom inspired art, as well as a display of whatever edible, poisonous and beautiful mushrooms turn up in their baskets at the time.Please bring mushrooms to contribute, display, identify, and discuss! - Medicinals, Harvesting, and Reishi Samples
Jessica Slavik – will be offering discussion about local medicinal mushrooms, how to harvest them to make your own medicine, plus samples of Reishi tea and tincture. - Dyers Polypore Mushroom Dye Pot
Mikaila Lironi – will be offering mushroom dyes! If you wish to dye fiber at the event, please drop off one item (wool, cotton, nylon, silk, or hemp) in advance (labelled with your name and contact info) to Mikaila (in the mail, at Black Sheep Station, or in her tote) by November 6th so that the fibre can be mordanted in time to be dipped and dyed at the event!
6:30-8:00
Evening talk & questions with Andy: A Natural and Cultural
History of Magic Mushrooms in BC
About Andy Mackinnon
Ecologist, author, activist and politician, Andy is renowned for his talents as an educator. His graduate research was in mycology and he is the co-author of six guidebooks to BC plants and, most recently, of the 2021 Royal BC Museum Handbook “Mushrooms of British Columbia.” He is Past-President of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Andy has played an important role in biodiversity conservation in BC. He had a 30-year career as a forest ecologist with the BC Government where he championed many conservation initiatives and he is a retired professional forester and professional biologist. In 2013 he received an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University for his work in conservation and education. He leads field schools and gives many guest lectures on forest ecology and mycology each year and he is busy every fall at Fungus Fests throughout the Pacific Northwest.