Friends Of Fungi

With John Michelotti, Erwin Karl, Gabriela D’Elia and Aubrey Carter

May 27 - 29, 2022

Contact: frontdesk@menla.org
845 688 6897

  • Deluxe Queen – $1,120.00
  • Deluxe Double (Shared Room) – $978.00
  • Standard Single - Shared Bath – $1,024.00
  • Standard Double Full - Shared bath (Shared Room) – $916.00
  • Standard Double Twin - Shared bath (Shared Room) – $874.00
  • Economy Single - Shared Bath – $848.00
  • Economy Double - Shared Bath (Shared Room) – $828.00
  • Economy Quad - Shared Bath (Shared Room) – $778.00
  • Camping – $594.00
  • Commuter – $568.00

From the largest living organism in the world to the creation of soil, fungi play an essential role for life on earth. They have been recycling and helping to heal the planet for centuries. Now, we can pair with fungi to improve our lives through appreciating the food and medicines this extraordinary kingdom has to offer.

Join John Michelotti this May for an all-levels mushroom cultivation and foraging weekend workshop at Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in Phoenicia, New York.

Participants will create/inoculate and take home:
– Indoor Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit
– Outdoor Shiitake Mushroom Log
– Chaga Tincture
– Foraging Hand lens and Journal
– Deeper Connection with Fungi, Nature, Self, and Friends

Come explore the interesting and ancient relationship fungi have with our world and our culture. Learn about kingdom fungi and mushrooms in history and as we currently know them. Discussions will include: biology and ecology of fungi, mushrooms as food and medicine, how fungal allies can create resilience in our agriculture and communities, gardening with mushrooms, and mushrooms to heal the planet.

Through fun hands-on activities, learn low-tech methods to cultivate gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, identify and harvest wild mushrooms, and make mushroom medicines.

To learn more about John Michelotti and his mycological offerings, please visit his website www.catskillfungi.com and enjoy an article from the Hudson Valley Magazine: www.hvmag.com.

Schedule

Friday, May 27

  • 3 – 8pm Check-in
  • 6 – 7pm Dinner
  • 7:30pm Evening Program Intro and Welcome Circle
    • Evening Presentation: Mushrooms 101 – Biology and Ecology of Fungi

Saturday, May 28

  • 8 – 9am Free Time – Breakfast Available à la carte at Menla’s Front Desk
  • 9:30am – 12pm Mushroom Walk: How to identify mushrooms
  • 12:30 – 1:30pm – Lunch
  • 1:30 – 2pm Break
  • 2 – 4pm Afternoon Program 1
    • Outdoor Cultivation: Shiitake on Logs.
    • Wine-cap in Wood chips Inoculation. Slurry.
  • 4 – 4:30pm – Break
  • 4:30 – 6pm – Afternoon Program 2
    • Medicinal Mushrooms: tincture making workshop. Make your own chaga/LM tincture.
    • Erwin-Kombucha, fermentation & growing beneficial mycobiomes. (30 mins)
  • 6 – 7pm – Dinner
  • 7:30 – 8:30pm- Evening Program
    • Indoor Inoculation: Oysters on Sawdust. Grow your own oyster kit.
  • 8:30pm – on Optional: open discussion at fire pit. Music Jam (bring instruments)

Sunday, May 29

  • 7 – 11am Check-out of Rooms
  • 8 – 9am – Breakfast Available à la carte at Menla’s Front Desk
  • 9:30 – 11:30am Morning Program
    • Mushroom Walk
    • Closing Circle
  • 12 – 1pm Lunch and Departure

*Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time.

About the Leaders

John Michelotti

John Michelotti is the founder of Catskill Fungi which empowers people with fungi through outdoor educational classes, cultivation courses, mushroom art, and mushroom health extracts. John is a past president of the Mid-Hudson Mycological Association (MHMA) where he co-founded the Catskill Regional Mycoflora Project as well as the Gary Lincoff Memorial Scholarship. He served on […]

Learn more about John Michelotti

Erwin Karl

Erwin Karl is a farmer, mycologist and educator who has led walks and workshops for Catskill Fungi and Mid Hudson Mycological Association. He serves as site manager at the CycleX farm in Andes, NY where he has been involved in building maintenance, construction and agriculture for more than a decade. His projects in mycology, permaculture, […]

Learn more about Erwin Karl

Gabriela D’Elia

Gabriela D’Elia is the Director of the Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDiS), VP for Mushroom Society of Utah, Project Leader for FunDiS Local Project Northern Utah Funga, and founder of her company Moon Mushrooms, which focuses on holistic mycology, crafting tiny batch tinctures, and MycoAstrology.

Learn more about Gabriela D’Elia

Aubrey Carter

Aubrey graduated from Indiana University in 2016 with a BS in Biology. He has worked at several different ecological institutions in and around the NYC area, including the Central Park Conservancy, the Westchester Land Trust, the Stamford Land Conservation Trust, and Sleepy Cat Farm. Currently the Assistant Ecological Manager at Manitou Point Preserve near Garrison, […]

Learn more about Aubrey Carter

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