High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

2008 Mushroom Retreat August 22 and 23

Once the monsoons have thoroughly soaked the ground, Hart Prairie is an ideal location to hunt for wild edible mushrooms. Join MaryLou Fairweather of the Forest Service and Ed Smith of The Nature Conservancy as well as Arboretum staff for a weekend retreat doing just that at The Conservancy's Hart Prairie Preserve. The program is designed for the novice and experienced fungi-vore and will be equally as informative as it is social. Unite with other mushroom lovers to enjoy home-cooked meals featuring wild mushrooms. Learn where to look for edible fungi as well as methods for preserving your bounty and preparing dishes with fresh and dried specimens. Why let the rain interfere with your plans for a late summer hike? Mushroom hunters rejoice in wet weather!

Mary Lou Fairweather is a Plant Pathologist with the Southwestern Regional Office of the Forest Service. She has been identifying fungi for over 20 years and works closely with those that decay trees. Mary Lou was trained by mycologists while working on her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and a Master's degree in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona.

Edward Smith is the Forest Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in Arizona. He studied microbial ecology as part of his Master's Degree at Northern Arizona University's School of Forestry, including one year of study with Dr. Jack States, author of "Mushrooms and Truffles of the Southwest." He has enjoyed collecting, identifying, and sometimes eating fungi since the tender age of 5, when he discovered the first Morel mushrooms in Arizona. He continues to enjoy hunting, photographing, and learning about fungi, especially their complex ecological interactions with plants and animals.
Friday Evening, August 22

5:00 Welcome
6:00 Mushroom Lore: Mushrooms in Magic, Myth & Music
7:00 Dinner: Various recipes using as many different types of mushrooms possible

Saturday, August 23

8:00 Continental Breakfast
9:00 Identification Basics
10:00-12:00 Foray on the Preserve
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Foray on the Preserve
4:00 Share and Compare: Mushroom identification activity
5:30 Cooking Demonstration
7:00 Dinner: Various recipes using as many different types of mushrooms possible

Sunday, August 24

8:00 Continental Breakfast
11:00 Departure

Prices:
Overnight Guests:
Includes all meals (2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch), 2 nights lodging and educational programming

Arboretum and Nature Conservancy members $350/person based on double occupancy, non-members $400/person based on double occupancy

This year the program is limited to overnight guests only. Because of the small size the prices have increased significantly. There will only be space for 15 participants.

Contact Rachel Edelstein at (928) 774-1442, ext. 110 or rachel.edelstein@nau.edu to register.