Course Description
Course Description: Mushrooms have fascinated and mystified humankind for ages. From ancient origin stories and shamanic practice to modern systematic analysis, fungi captivate us. In this course, participants will explore the diversity and ecological importance of the kingdom of fungi. Over this two-day course, participants will learn the fundamentals of mushroom identification through a combination of classroom and field experience.
Topics include ecology, taxonomy, field identification, morphology, edibility, toxicity, fungi as medicine, bioremediation, and ‘best’ harvesting practices. Participants will also learn how to contribute to the state’s community science initiatives. At the end of this course participants will leave with the foundational knowledge necessary to successfully and confidently identify mushrooms and enjoy a greater understanding of fungi and their fascinating lives. All skill levels and knowledge bases are welcome.
Audience: Educators with a Bachelor’s Degree
Session Information
9 am - 5 pm both days
Instructors
Sean Beckett, M.S.
he/him
Sean Beckett, M.S.
Years ago in Costa Rica, a teenage Sean was awoken by his NBNC trip leader and shuffled into a humming jungle to experience his first dawn chorus of tropical songbirds. He went on to study Biology and Environmental Studies at Vassar College, and received his M.S. from UVM’s Field Naturalist and Ecological Planning Program. Sean has worked extensively as a wildlife ecologist, researching Atlantic Puffins in Maine, Saw-whet Owls in New York, raptors in Idaho, Pygmy-Owls in Mexico, and Clark’s Nutcrackers in Wyoming. Sean joined the NBNC staff in 2017 after years of leading world-class wildlife safaris across North America, taking inquisitive travelers to the threshold of wolf dens, toe-to-toe with polar bears, and to the heart of Utah’s Canyonlands and deserts.