Meetings for 2015-2016
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 7:45 p.m.
Speaker: Simona Margaritescu
Presentation: A First Glance at Fungal Diversity in the Brazilian Amazon
Simona Margaritescu is the Mycology Technician in the Department of Natural History at the Royal Ontario Museum. She manages the ROM’s fungal herbarium (TRTC) and is responsible for the operations of the Mycology Molecular Laboratory.
Monday, November 16, 2015 7:45 p.m.
Speaker: Karen Stephenson, ediblewildfood.com
Presentation: Autumn Harvesting and Forest Fungi for Your Health
Learn what plant and fungi harvesting opportunities are still out there despite the colder weather. In addition to being food, countless fungi have been used as medicine for thousands of years. Learn how you can integrate forest fungi into your diet to help maintain good health.
Karen has been a professional writer and researcher for twenty years and has won several awards over the years for her work. She is a member of the Canadian Author's Association, the Society of Environmental Journalists, Green Connection, the York Simcoe Naturalist Club and NANPS (North American Native Plant Society). In fact, Karen recently became the communications assistant with NANPS. Although Karen has taken countless courses in botany, nutrition, mycology, and herbal medicines she spends more time learning from various sources in Europe and Asia. Although she was a forager for many years it wasn't until August 2011 in which Karen took her knowledge and started EdibleWildFood.com. Since then she has helped to educate thousands of people worldwide about what she calls "nutrient-dense free food". She has her book Fields of Nutrition here tonight for sale and is taking pre-orders for Winter Survival Food which will be available late this month.
Monday, February 22nd, 2016 7:45 p.m.
Speaker: Pat Burchell (Chair of MST Education Committee)
Presentation: One of these things is not like the others: a laypersons look at some interesting changes to the classification of fungi.
DNA research is changing the way fungi are classified. The results are often frustrating for those of us trying to identify mushrooms in the field, but they also shed light on some evolutionary relationships which may surprise us.
Monday, March 21st, 2016 7:45 p.m.
Speaker: Jadson Jose Souza de Oliveira, PhD, Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum
Presentation: The Genus Marasmius: Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny
Marasmius is a diverse genus in terms of both morphology and the number of species. Exhibiting a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors, this genus is both beautiful and elegant. Its species are widespread across the world due to successful dispersal and a versatile capability to grow in many habitats, primarily acting as decomposers. Marasmius is the largest genus of the family Marasmiaceae in number of species, and one of the largest in the order Agaricales. It is estimated that the genus has over 1,000 species. This diversity of species and of morphology makes it a very complex genus in terms of taxonomy and systematics. Phylogenetic approaches not only have revealed the relationships among species and groups of species in a more natural fashion, but also have brought some light to the way how the genus should be organized.
Monday, April 25th 7:45 p.m.
Annual General Meeting
Speaker: D. Andrew White
Presentation: Tree Identification by Bark and Leaf in the Spring Season
Toronto arborist David Andrew White, a long time MST member, will talk about identifying many of the common trees of Ontario in the Spring, and look at some of the mushrooms that you will find growing in association with those trees throughout the year.
At the AGM, the business of the previous year is reviewed, resolutions for the upcoming year are decided, and MST members elect the incoming Board of Directors.
The society has many more members than this time last year, and all members have a voice and a vote - so if you're interested in influencing the activities and the future direction of the MST, please attend!
Copies of George Barron's recently-reprinted field guide Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada will be on sale at the meeting. This is the MST's recommended field guide for Ontario and has been very hard to find in past years. We'll also have MST whistles, stickers and buttons available!
Updated Apr 18th 2016