Friends of Fungi: A Hiking, Foraging + Mushroom Cultivation Retreat

Friends of Fungi: Cultivating and Foraging for Medicinal and Edible Mushrooms

Kingdom Fungi: mushrooms and fungal allies for life. Fungi are the grand molecular recyclers of life on our planet. In the dynamic continuum, fungi provide a way for carbon and nutrients from dead animals and plants to fulfill the cycle and re-enter the web of life.

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.

Schedule

FRIDAY MAY 12

3 – 8pm Check in
6 – 7pm Dinner
7:30pm Intro and Welcoming Program
Intro lecture – Why Fungi, What Mushrooms? – biology and ecology of kingdom fungi

SATURDAY MAY 13

7 – 8am Nejang Tibetan Longevity Yoga (Optional)
8 – 9am Breakfast
9:30am – 12pm Morning program
Basics of Mushroom Identification
Mushroom Walk: Foraging the Forest
Lecture : Cultivation primer for woodland mushrooms and the of amplifying mycorrhizal fungi for the garden
Hands on : Log inoculation
12 – 1pm Lunch
1 – 2pm Break
2 – 4pm Afternoon program
Mushrooms in the garden : inoculate woodchips (Stropharia), compost (Coprinus, and Agaricus), and garden debris and primary and secondary decomposers, with discussions of how and why.
Continue log inoculation, walk in the woods, Q&A
4 – 4:30pm Break
4:30 – 6pm Afternoon program
Lecture : Mushrooms as Food and Medicine
Hands-on : medicine making
6 – 7pm Dinner
7:30 – 9pm Evening program
Lecture : Spawn – what is it & how do we make it?
Hands on : Low tech spawn and activities for mycological therapy – programming mushroom cultivation for success at any age or ability (toilet paper roll, kitty litter, waste conversion experiments, kids, adults), Feedback and Q&A

Sunday MAY 14

8 – 9am Breakfast
9:15 – 11:45am Morning Program
Creating fungal community: Myco-sociology patterns towards a deeper connection to all things.
A future for fungi – how can you participate?
Feedback and Q&A
Close
12 – 1pm Lunch

Note: Schedule is subject to change