SEMINAR & BOOK LAUNCH

Underground Lovers – Encounters with Fungi

Once overlooked, fungi are the exhilarating new poster organisms reconfiguring our understanding of the natural word and capturing the public imagination.

Alison’s new book, Underground Lovers presents compelling questions and insights about fungi but is also an intimate celebration of their astonishing beauty and complexity. It melds science and personal reflection to explore overlooked themes, among them – fungi and fire, fungi and climate change, fungi and aesthetics, fungi in ecosystem restoration, and fungi and indigenous wisdom. The book explores fungi through first-hand stories – from the Australian desert to Iceland’s glaciers to America’s Cascade Mountains – where we encounter glowing ghost fungi and the enigma of the lobster mushroom. We’ll dwell with fungal allies and aliens, discover how fungi hold forests together, and why humans are deeply entwined with these unruly renegades of the subterrain.

What can we learn from the lives of fungi? Underground Lovers brings us to our knees, magnifier in hand, to find out.

Join us for this launch of Underground Lovers: Encounters with Fungi to hear some stories from Alison’s adventures during the writing of the book. Delight in a display of local fungi. Then stay for supper and take part in an interactive discussion of the importance of fungi in ecosystem restoration and Landcare initiatives.

Further workshops can be viewed at this link.

This event is sponsored by the Mid Loddon Catchment Management Network.

DATE: TUESDAY 18 APRIL 2023

TIME: 7pm–9pm

VENUE: Lockwood South & District Community Hall, 784 Calder Alternate Hwy, Lockwood South VIC 3551

BOOKINGS: Judy Crocker – jcroc22@gmail.com

COST: gold coin donation

UNDERGROUND LOVERS – ENCOUNTERS WITH FUNGI

Seminar & Book Launch

Once overlooked, fungi are the exhilarating new poster organisms reconfiguring our understanding of the natural word and capturing the public imagination.

Underground Lovers is a captivating journey into the sensory realms of fungi. It’s told through first-hand stories – from the Australian desert to Iceland’s glaciers to America’s Cascade Mountains – where we encounter glowing ghost fungi and the enigma of the lobster mushroom. We’ll dwell with fungal allies and aliens, discover how fungi hold forests together, and why humans are deeply intwined with these unruly renegades of the subterrain.

The book presents new questions and insights about fungi but is also an intimate celebration of their astonishing beauty and complexity. It melds science and personal reflection to explore overlooked themes, among them ­– fungi and fire, fungi and climate change, fungi and aesthetics, fungi in ecosystem restoration, and fungi and indigenous wisdom.

What can we learn from the lives of fungi? Underground Lovers brings us to our knees, magnifier in hand, to find out.

Join us for this Otways launch of Underground Lovers to hear some stories from Alison’s adventures during the writing of the book.

Signed copies of Underground Lovers will be available as well as her previous books, The Allure of Fungi and Wild Mushrooming.

This workshop is sponsored by Southern Otways Landcare.

Further seminar, forays and workshops can be found here.

DATE: THURSDAY 20 APRIL 2023

TIME: 18:00 – 19:30

VENUE: Senior Citizens Centre, 4 Whelan Avenue, Apollo Bay.

COST: Free to attend, supper included

BOOKINGS

What’s that mushroom?

Fungi delight and intrigue and provide the connective network of terrestrial ecosystems. The forests of the Southern Otways harbour some of the most diverse and bizarre fungi in the country. This workshop introduces participants to the diversity, ecology and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi, specific to fungi found in the Otways region but also within wider Australian and global contexts.

It will include an interactive session on the basics of fungus identification where you will get to handle, examine and identify various fungi. You will also learn to recognise the various diagnostic characteristics used to identify fungi in the field. Fungi will be explored in regard to their ecology and conservation as well as cultural aspects such as edibility and toxicity.

We will then partake in an exciting foray through various local ecosystems to search for species of interest.

This workshop is sponsored by Southern Otways Landcare.

Further seminar, forays and workshops can be found here.

DATE: FRIDAY 21 APRIL 2023

TIME: 10:00 – 16:00

COST: $65-

BOOKINGS

Lunch and hot drinks included

Southern Otways Fungus Survey – Fungus Survey Training Day

The fungi of the Otways forests are little known. Only very scant and mostly anecdotal records exist. Fungi are an important part of these forests in creating and stabilising soils, nourishing and interconnecting plants, as a food supply for animals, recycling nutrients and essentially underpinning their health and resilience. Effective forest ‘management’ should ideally include fungi.

This aim of the training day is to equip participants with the basic principles and protocols for surveying fungi in the field. These participants could then further develop their skills to become leaders in engaging the wider community to partake in fungus surveying. Data collected from the surveys will provide a baseline for ongoing monitoring in the Southern Otways and a more comprehensive picture of the biodiversity of the region.

This workshop is sponsored by Southern Otways Landcare.

Further workshops can be viewed at this link.

DATE: SATURDAY 22 APRIL 2023

TIME: 10:00 – 16:00

COST: $40-

BOOKINGS

Lunch and hot drinks included

UNDERGROUND LOVERS – ENCOUNTERS WITH FUNGI

Book Launch

Once overlooked, fungi are the exhilarating new poster organisms reconfiguring our understanding of the natural word and capturing the public imagination.

Underground Lovers is a captivating journey into the sensory realms of fungi. It’s told through first-hand stories – from the Australian desert to Iceland’s glaciers to America’s Cascade Mountains – where we encounter glowing ghost fungi and the enigma of the lobster mushroom. We’ll dwell with fungal allies and aliens, discover how fungi hold forests together, and why humans are deeply intwined with these unruly renegades of the subterrain.

The book presents new questions and insights about fungi but is also an intimate celebration of their astonishing beauty and complexity. It melds science and personal reflection to explore overlooked themes, among them ­– fungi and fire, fungi and climate change, fungi and aesthetics, fungi in ecosystem restoration, and fungi and indigenous wisdom.

What can we learn from the lives of fungi? Underground Lovers brings us to our knees, magnifier in hand, to find out.

Join us for this Otways launch of Underground Lovers to hear some stories from Alison’s adventures during the writing of the book.

Signed copies of Underground Lovers will be available as well as her previous books, The Allure of Fungi and Wild Mushrooming.

Further seminar, forays and workshops can be found here.

SUNDAY 23 APRIL 2023

6pm–7:30pm

COST: Free to attend but please register

Food & drink available for purchase

GELLIBRAND, VIC

BOOKINGS:  03 5235 8348 coordinator@gellihouse.org

 

Otways Fungus Foray

Fungi delight and intrigue and provide the connective network of terrestrial ecosystems. The forests surrounding Gellibrand harbour some of the most diverse and bizarre fungi in the state.

This workshop introduces participants to the diversity, ecology and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi, specific to fungi found in the Otways region but also within wider Australian and global contexts.

It will include a ninety-minute interactive session on the basics of fungus identification where participants will get to handle, examine and identify various fungi. Participants will also learn to recognise the various diagnostic characteristics used to identify fungi in the field. Fungi will be discussed in regard to their ecological roles and also cultural aspects such as edibility and toxicity.

We will then partake in an exciting two hour foray through various local ecosystems to search for species of interest.

Participants are encouraged to bring along their own specimens for identification at the workshop. Be sure to dress warmly!

For further workshops please click here.

MONDAY 24 APRIL 2023

12pm–4pm

COST: $80 or $75 concession

GELLIBRAND, VIC

BOOKINGS:  03 5235 8348 coordinator@gellihouse.org

BOOK SOON AS PLACES ARE BOOKING FAST!

UNDERGROUND LOVERS – ENCOUNTERS WITH FUNGI

Seminar & Book Launch

As part of the Paperbark Science Series at Wildbark, Alison will be giving a talk and launching her new book, Underground Lovers.

The Kingdom Fungi is a kingdom of conundrums. Once overlooked, fungi are the exhilarating new poster organisms reconfiguring our understanding of the natural word and capturing the public imagination.

Underground Lovers is a captivating journey into the sensory realms of fungi. It’s told through first-hand stories – from the Australian desert to Iceland’s glaciers to America’s Cascade Mountains – where we encounter glowing ghost fungi and the enigma of the lobster mushroom. We’ll dwell with fungal allies and aliens, discover how fungi hold forests together, and why humans are deeply intwined with these unruly renegades of the subterrain.

The book presents new questions and insights about fungi but is also an intimate celebration of their astonishing beauty and complexity. It melds science and personal reflection to explore overlooked themes, among them ­– fungi and fire, fungi and climate change, fungi and aesthetics, fungi in ecosystem restoration, and fungi and indigenous wisdom.

What can we learn from the lives of fungi? Underground Lovers brings us to our knees, magnifier in hand, to find out.

Join us for this ACT launch of Underground Lovers to hear some stories from Alison’s adventures during the writing of the book.

Signed copies of Underground Lovers will be available as well as her previous books, The Allure of Fungi and Wild Mushrooming.

Further seminar, forays and workshops can be found here.

FRIDAY 28 APRIL 2023

Time: 6pm–7:30pm

Venue: Wildbark at Mulligans Flat, 25 Rosenberg Street
Throsby ACT 2914

Cost: $10

BOOKINGS