Gary Laursen to lead mushroom workshop in Palmer

July 7, 2017

Photo by Martha Springer. Pholiota auravella is one of several species of mushroom referred to as golden pholiota. Mushroom expert Gary Laursen said some people are able to eat this mushroom but others experience gastrointestinal upset.

Mycologist Gary Laursen will lecture and lead a workshop on the wild mushrooms of Southcentral Alaska Aug. 11-13 at the Matanuska Experiment Farm in Palmer.

The workshop, Introduction to Mushrooms of the Mat-Su Region, will include field and laboratory identification, and information on collecting, preparing and preserving edible mushrooms. The workshop will also cover the ecology of mushrooms and current issues.

Laursen, who holds a doctorate in botany and ecology, has studied Arctic, sub-Arctic and sub-Antarctic fungi around the world for more than 40 years and is the co-author with Neil McArthur of “Alaska’s Mushrooms: A Wide-Ranging Guide.”

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will host the lecture and workshop at 208 Kerttula Hall at 1509 S. Georgeson Drive. The course will include a lecture from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 11 and fieldwork Aug. 12-13. The fee is $100 for the entire course or $20 for the Friday night lecture only. Aug. 4 is the deadline for signing up at http://bit.ly/cesworkshops.

For more information, call the Extension district office at 907-745-3360, or contact Julie Cascio at jmcascio@alaska.edu or Melissa Clampitt at mrclampitt@alaska.edu.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Debbie Carter, 907-474-5406, dscarter@alaska.edu