Annual General Meeting

The Usual: VanDusen, Floral Hall 5151 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, Canada

May 14th will be our AGM! In order to vote, you will need to be a member. You can renew or join at the meeting, or online anytime.  We will have a presenter after the AGM business is done, about 8/8:30pm.  After the AGM business Gustavo de Moura will present "Kombucha: History, SCOBY, and why you should be drinking it." Bio: Gustavo de Moura. BA in Accounting from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Graduate of the Brewing and Brewery Operation Diploma from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Head Brewer at Oddity Kombucha since July 2018. After deciding to move to Canada, I also moved to a new career in the brewing industry. My passion for craft beers led me to the Brewing diploma on KPU, and the love for fermented food got me started at homebrewing Kombucha. After finishing my studies at Kwantlen I got a brewer position at Faculty Brewing, a sister company of Oddity Kombucha. The head brewer position at Oddity got vacant shortly after and I took the role. Since, I’ve been constantly learning about the kombucha production process, how it ferments and how to achieve the desired flavours I want and how to constantly achieve them.      

VMS Meeting: Michael Hathaway

The Usual: VanDusen, Floral Hall 5151 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Pine Mushrooms as World-Makers (re-scheduled from cancelled February meeting) From Michael:  "This talk will give a brief introduction to a long-term collaborative research project that follows the harvest and trade in the pine mushroom (matsutake) from several countries around the world to its destination in Japan. I will focus on how this valuable trade is shaping the lives of several indigenous groups in Southwest China, on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, such as ethnic Tibetans and Yi. I suggest that the trade itself (as well as larger political events) are influencing the livelihoods of these people, such as how they farm and raise yak and goats, but also creating less expected changes such as fostering a kind of ethnic resurgence."   Michael Hathaway is an associate professor of cultural anthropology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He studies the intersection of indigenous politics and environmentalism in China, and more recently, has been exploring how indigeneity has emerged in the Asia-Pacific region through transnational encounters. His first book, Environmental Winds: Making the Global in Southwest China (University of California Press, 2013) explores how environmentalism was refashioned in China, not only by conservationists, but also by rural villagers and even animals themselves. […]

VMS Meeting: Paul Kroeger

The Usual: VanDusen, Floral Hall 5151 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Our September speaker is Paul Kroeger, one of the founding members of the VMS. He will present "Genus Amanita".  Some of Paul’s many activities and accomplishments in this field include: researching the biochemistry of medicinal mushrooms at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as a long time research associate in their Department of Botany; major contributor to the mycological herbarium collections in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC; significant contributions to the DAOM Herbarium in Ottawa and DAVFP Herbarium in Victoria; frequent consultant for various agencies, including the British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre.  

Free

Urban Mushroom Walk

Riley Park Plaza 50 East 30th ave, Vancouver, Canada

Join us for an urban mushroom walk lead by Paul Kroeger, one of the VMS' founding members and a local expert on mushrooms, particularly toxic mushrooms. We'll meet at the Riley Park Plaza, located near the corner of 30th and Ontario. 

Free

VMS Meeting: Alissa Allen

The Usual: VanDusen, Floral Hall 5151 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Alissa Allen will present "Mushrooms and Lichens for Dyes: Making rainbows from fungi" Alissa Allen is a self-taught mycologist and the founder of Mycopigments. She specializes in teaching about regional mushroom and lichen dye palettes to fiber artists and mushroom enthusiasts all over the world. Alissa got her start in the Pacific Northwest and has been sharing her passion for mushrooms for over 15 years. She has written articles for her website as well as Fungi Magazine and Fibershed. In 2015 she created the Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United discussion group and The Mushroom Dyers Trading Post. These groups have grown into a community of over 6000 members. In 2020 Alissa will host the International Fungus and Fiber Symposium in the US at a location yet to be disclosed. Alissa uses brilliant colors found in fungal dyes to entice people to take a closer look at mushrooms and lichens and the role they play in the greater ecosystem. To read more about her work, visit http://mycopigments.com/

Free

Fantastic Fungi Film Screening

Rio Theatre 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Join opening night post-screening discussion with Director Louie Schwartzberg, and special guests. When so many are struggling for connection, inspiration, and hope, FANTASTIC FUNGI brings us together as interconnected creators of our world. FANTASTIC FUNGI, directed by Louie Schwartzberg, is a consciousness-shifting film that takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil, and others, we become aware of the beauty, intelligence and solutions the fungi kingdom offer us in response to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges. Please note: this is not an event organized by the VMS. Please contact the event organizers for all inquiries. 

$30

Fungi & Art Walk

Trout Lake Community Centre 3360 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada

An experiential, educational, and artistic urban mushroom walking tour facilitated by mycologist and artist Willoughby Arevalo. Guided through sensorial and artistic explorations, each participant will be invited to reflect on the intersections between fungi, the urban ecosystem and the sensing/thinking body. Under 13yrs old must be accompanied by an adult.  Tickets and more info here.  Please note: this is not a VMS event. All inquiries should be made to the organizers.   

$23.81

Mushroom Walk

Lighthouse Park 4902 Beacon Ln, West Vancouver, BC, Canada

Join David to learn about the important role of fungi in our forests and how to safely identify them. This is a joint event for Lighthouse Park Preservation Society and Nature Vancouver. Membership in these societies is not required. To limit the size of the group and because the event may be rescheduled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, registration is required. Contact David at cookeco2@yahoo.com to register. Disclaimer: this is not a VMS event - please contact cookeco2@yahoo.com for all inquiries.