New Jersey Fungus Fest
If you happen to be in or near New Jersey on September 23, you might want to take a trip over to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum for the New Jersey Mycological Association's Fungus Fest '07.
Frelinghuysen Arboretum to host a Fungus FestThese events are great places for beginners to network with experienced amateurs and professionals. It was an event like this one, in fact, that put me on the path to a career in the field. While I don't imagine that will be the case for most people, I can guarantee you that you'll learn a lot and your interest in the topic will expand tremendously, and you'll probably have a lot of fun while you're at it.
A variety of specimens of a strange but common life form will be on display Sept. 23 at Fungus Fest, to be held at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 E. Hanover Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual event is sponsored by the New Jersey Mycological Association, a nonprofit club of experts, hobbyists and beginners with an interest in various aspects of mushrooms.
Fungus Fest will include extensive exhibits of mushrooms, mushroom cooking demonstrations, talks and presentations about growing mushrooms at home, edible and poisonous mushrooms, medicinal uses of mushrooms, demonstrations of papermaking and fabric dyes made from mushrooms and guided outdoor mushroom walks with NJMA members.
The club invites the public to bring mushrooms they find to the event, where NJMA members will identify them and explain their role in the environment, if they are rare or common and other characteristics...
Fungus Fest will also feature children's games, mushroom books, field guides, artwork and crafts available for sale. The event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $2 for adults and $1 for children.
For more information, call (973) 326-7601 or visit www.njmyco.org.
