Fascinated by fungi?
You’re in luck — this month the Arrowsmith Naturalists and North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC) are hosting the inaugural, Mushroom Show in Errington.
“There are literally thousands of species of mushrooms on the Island,” self-proclaimed mushroom enthusiast Jessica Wolf told
The NEWS.
Wolf said Sunday, Oct. 18 will be dedicated to all things mushroom.
Organizers will set up shop at NIWRC and admission will be by donation with proceeds going to the recovery centre.
Wolf said there will be mushrooms of all shapes and sizes at the show with experts on hand to explain which one is which and answer questions.
Meanwhile, she will be selling ready-to-fruit shiitake and oyster mushroom logs, which last several years. According to Wolf’s website, all the logs are reclaimed from sites where trees have been cleared for construction.
Lynne Brookes, president of the Arrowsmith Naturalists, expects to see more than 100 mushroom varieties at the show.
“There might even be more, who knows,” she speculated.
Brookes said mushroom pickers are invited to drop off mushrooms for display and/or identification on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the NIWRC from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where volunteers will be set up in the parking lot.
“I think people have always been fascinated by mushrooms,” she said. “One, they’re edible and two, they can kill you.”
Aside from being edible and fatally poisonous, Brookes explains mushrooms are also sought after for their fabric dying qualities and medicinal properties.
Attendees of the Mushroom Show will have the opportunity to learn about mushrooms’ role in the ecosystem and their many functions.
The first ever Mushroom Show will be held Sunday, Oct. 18 at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is by donation.
The public is encouraged to come check out the various mushrooms species we have on Vancouver Island.
The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is located at 1240 Leffler Road in Errington.
