The “All Things Fungi” Festival August 24 & 25, 2018 Connor Forestry Center Kemp Natural Resources Station 9161 Kemp Road, Woodruff, WI Friday - August 24 6:30 pm An Introduction to Fungi & Mushrooms Dan Lindner, Research Plant Pathologist, USFS Fungi make up their own Kingdom, distinct from plants, animals and other microorganisms. Join us for a brief introduction to this fascinating Kingdom, including what fungi do in ecosystems and why they are important to humans. Basic features needed to identify fungi will also be covered, including edible and poisonous fungi. Common Mushrooms of Kemp Station Anne Small, Northstate Mycological Club Learn what species of mushrooms can be found at Kemp and the surrounding areas, including edibles, poisonous and other interesting fungi, including methods of identification and the roles that these fungi play in the forest. Saturday – August 25 9:00 am A Foray in the Kemp Forest Wander the forest at Kemp Station and collect mushrooms! Join with others on the hunt, or enjoy a solo hunt. Please bring your own collection vessel (i.e., basket) and knife. 10:30 am Foray Finds Dan Lindner and Anne Small will lead a discussion examining the morning’s foray finds. 12:15 pm Lunch A light lunch will be available to participants who reserve a “Free Lunch” ticket by Monday, August 20. Book Signing, Cora Mollen, author of “Fascinating Fungi of the North Woods” Bring your copy of Cora’s book to be signed! (Available on Amazon.com, search for “Fascinating Fungi of the North Woods, 2nd Edition”) 1:30 pm Cultivating Gourmet and Medicinal Fungi Lindsey Bender, Chief Mycologist, Field & Forest Fungi are nature’s decomposers – responsible for breaking down complex organic material no other organisms can. They are also incredibly diverse, beautiful, wonderfully flavorful, and easy to grow. Learn about the benefits and fun that comes with incorporating edible fungi into your landscape. We will cover the various ways of cultivating gourmet and medicinal mushrooms like Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Maitake, Wine Cap, and Almond Agaricus, to name a few. Whether you have compost, straw, wood chips, or logs, we will discuss your options from low-maintenance Wine Cap beds all the way to large scale production of Shiitake on logs. 2:45 pm Mushrooms in the Medicine Cabinet – CANCELLED Mushroom Cooking Demonstration Demonstration will be limited by the number of edibles found on the morning foray. 4:30 pm Fungi and Wildlife: From birds to bats to beetles Dan Lindner, Research Plant Pathologist, USFS Fungi interact with many types of wildlife, and these interactions can range from very beneficial to very problematic. Learn about recent research projects designed to understand the interactions between fungi and wildlife. Examples include the federally endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker and fungi that help it create nesting cavities, bats throughout eastern North America that are affected by a fungus causing White-nose Syndrome of bats, and the many fungi that are moved around by beetles (including the fungus that causes oak wilt, blue stain fungi, and many more). DIRECTIONS TO KEMP From Woodruff: Travel south on State Highway 47 for 3.95 miles. Turn right onto Kemp Road. From Lake Tomahawk: Travel north on State Highway 47 for 3.25 miles. Turn left onto Kemp Road. Travel 2.0 miles down Kemp Road to the Station entrance. Follow signs to parking and buildings. PARKING: Limited parking is available at the Connor Forestry Center. Additional parking areas require a short walk to the Connor Forestry Center. LUNCH: To reserve your “Free Lunch” ticket, contact Karla at [email protected] or 715-358-5667. LODGING: Out of town participants may choose to spend Friday and/or Saturday night in a 1920’s era log building. Lodging is dormitory-style with shared bathrooms. The rate is $18 per person, per night. To make lodging reservations, contact Karla at [email protected] or 715-358-5667. EVENT REGISTRATION: Advance registration is not required for lectures or the foray. .