Fantastic Fungi Film Screening

Rio Theatre 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada

FANTASTIC FUNGI (Louie Schwartzberg, 2019 / 81 mins) Imagine an organism that feeds you, heals you, reveals secrets of the universe and could help save the planet. ‘Fantastic Fungi’ is a revelatory time-lapse journey, from 2019 Maui Film Festival Visionary Award honoree and director Louie Schwartzberg, about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth that began 3.5 billion years ago. Better yet, you’ll see it through the eyes of mycologists, like renowned Paul Stamets exing about the unlimited potential of fungi in the fields of food, medicine, expanding consciousness, bioremediation, neurogenesis and treating end-of-life anxiety. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 19+ Please note: this is not a VMS event. Please contact event organizers or the Rio Theatre with any questions. 

$13

Fantastic Fungi Film Screening

Rio Theatre 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada

FANTASTIC FUNGI (Louie Schwartzberg, 2019 / 81 mins) Imagine an organism that feeds you, heals you, reveals secrets of the universe and could help save the planet. ‘Fantastic Fungi’ is a revelatory time-lapse journey, from 2019 Maui Film Festival Visionary Award honoree and director Louie Schwartzberg, about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth that began 3.5 billion years ago. Better yet, you’ll see it through the eyes of mycologists, like renowned Paul Stamets exing about the unlimited potential of fungi in the fields of food, medicine, expanding consciousness, bioremediation, neurogenesis and treating end-of-life anxiety. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 19+ Please note: this is not a VMS event. Please contact event organizers or the Rio Theatre with any questions. 

$13

VMS Meeting: Sharmin Gamiet

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

Our presenter is our very own Sharmin Gamiet, with the topic "Towards Understanding Macrofungi of the Northwest Territories". After completing a project for Environment Canada on "General Status of the Species - Macrofungi," it became clear that there were significant knowledge gaps on the status of the macrofungi in the Northern areas of Canada. Dr. Suzanne Carriere from the Wildlife Branch of the Government of the Northwest Territories set out to rectify this situation. For the past 4 years, Sharmin and others have been visiting forest sites, mostly around the Yellowknife area but from other areas as well, to collect, photograph, document and voucher macrofungi, with the goal of creating a database of macrofungi for the Northwest Territories. This talk, an update on the project, will discuss the challenges faced in identifying forest macrofungi north of the sixtieth parallel. Sharmin Gamiet has been working with fungi for over 30 years, focusing on mushrooms and their relatives found in the Pacific Northwest (BC, Washington and Oregon). She has trained at UBC and the University of Washington using the Friesien species concepts (macro and micro morphological, rather than genetic traits, are used to group fungi). Sharmin has led mushroom forays throughout BC […]

Free

VMS Meeting: Britt Bunyard

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

Britt Bunyard will present "From Lowly Saprobe to Mycorrhizal Masters: Amanitas (A Tale Told in the DNA)" An overview of all aspects (biology, taxonomy, chemistry, physiology) of the beautiful Amanita mushrooms of North America. Everyone is familiar with the mushrooms but how much do we really know about what they are doing in the forest? How much do we know about their history and evolution? It turns out that a recent discovery–using modern molecular biology–led to an amazing discovery about their evolutionary past. Amanitas are mycorrhizal symbionts with forest trees but come from saprobic ancestors. The story is told in their DNA. Newbies and non mycologists will not be overwhelmed; advanced mycologists will not be bored, this discussion is for everyone with lots of beautiful images.   Britt Bunyard, PhD, is the founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of the mycology journal Fungi. Britt has worked academically (and played very amateurishly) as a mycologist his entire career, writing scientifically for many research journals and popular science magazines. He has served as an editor for mycological and entomological research journals, and mushroom guide books. A popular evangelizer on all things fungal, Britt has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, PBS’s NOVA and […]

Zachary Mazi: The Edible Mushrooms of the Lanna Kingdom

Zoom Webinar

For our first ever virtual meeting / presentation (this coming Tuesday October 13), the VMS is excited to host a speaker from half-way around the world! Originally from Oregon, and now living in the mountains of Northern Thailand, Zachary Mazi is a professional chef and enthusiastic mycologist. Coming to us from the tail end of the local mushroom season, will be presenting on the edible fungi of the Lanna Kingdom. He is currently working on a book: Mycophagy: The Art and Science of Cooking (and eating) Mushrooms.     Members may check their email or log in to view the access link to this webinar   Members may now log in to watch the replay   As this is a webinar, your microphone and camera will be disabled by default, and you will not be able to turn them on.   PLEASE NOTE: We only have capacity for 100 attendees to join the live webinar. You may join as early as 7:25pm on Tuesday.   The meeting will be recorded, and the video posted to a private members-only page on the Vanmyco website. If you are unable to join due to capacity, or if you don't use Zoom, you'll still have […]

Leah Bendlin: Common Fall Mushrooms of the PNW (and their lookalikes)

Zoom Webinar

In this presentation, we will learn some of the most common and memorable mushrooms found in fall in the Pacific Northwest. We will focus especially on common edibles and how to tell them apart from poisonous or just otherwise tricky potential lookalikes, noting particular physical features and habitats that will help you to identify them on your own. Pre-registration is required for this webinar. Sign up at https://www.vanmyco.org/zoom-webinar-access/ Leah Bendlin is a Portland, Oregon based mushroom and community science enthusiast. She has been studying mushrooms with a passion for 9 years, and has special interests in taxonomy, uncommonly known edibles, mycoheterotrophic plants, slime molds, ascomycetes and social justice. Leah regularly leads mushroom ID classes and walks through various Pacific Northwest organizations and currently serves on the board of the Oregon Mycological Society. You can find her mushroom centered Instagram @Leah_mycelia

Christin Swearingen: Mushrooms of Alaska and the West Coast Rare 10

Zoom Webinar

Our speaker, Christin Swearingen, is a mycologist volunteering for the Fungal Diversity Survey. She has degrees from Oberlin College (B.A.) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (M.S.), and mentorship from Dr. Gary Laursen (author of Alaska's Mushrooms). She is currently living in Fairbanks, working for the Interior Alaska Land Trust to protect natural habitat for all wildlife, including mushrooms. The West Coast Rare 10 Fungi project was launched in fall 2020 to find and document ten species of rare, threatened, or declining fungi. Scientists and conservationists need more data on these fungi in order to better understand and protect them and their habitats.

Sound Walk: Listening to Fungi through Biosonification

Renfrew Ravine Park BC, Canada

This workshop is one of a series, as part of Walking the Mycelial Web. Walking the Mycelial Web is a series of artistic activities inspired by ecology and fungal life, taking place primarily outdoors in three parks of the Renfrew-Collingwood neighborhood, presented by Willoughby Arevalo and Isabelle Kirouac in collaboration with the Collingwood Neighborhood House. Throughout 2021, community members of all ages, cultures will be invited to learn about the fungal biodiversity that exists within their neighborhood and honor fungi through collective, place-based, experiential activities, walks, and art workshops, building healthy and sustainable connections with each other and with nature through art. For more info: walkingthemycelialweb.org

Mushroom home cooking workshop

VMS members WIlloughby Arevalo and Isabelle Kirouac are pleased to announce that their Art & Fungi Project at Kitsilano Community Centre will continue for a second year. This free workshop is part of that series. More info and registration at artandfungi.org

Free