Virtual OMSI Science Pub: Why Mushrooms Matter: Ethnomycology Through the Ages

OCT 20, 2020 | Virtual Edition | 6:30-8:30PM | $5 suggested donation (www.omsi.edu/donate)

Why Mushrooms Matter: Ethnomycology Through the Ages with Peter McCoy, Founder of Mycologos. MORE INFO HERE.

For millennia, mushrooms and other fungi have been an integral, yet unsung, hero in the human story. The creation of fungi-fermented foods, drinks, and breads paved the ways for the settling of civilizations. Microscopic fungi fill the tissues of all plants, influencing their production of important nutritive and healing compounds that benefit all of life. Large and small fungi are embedded in traditional customs, rituals, and cosmologies, where they have played essential roles in shaping the development of ancient cultures. Even today, novel applications of mushroom cultivation are providing unprecedented means for addressing important global issues – from food shortages to excess pollution – while also reframing our understanding of essential ecosystem processes.

In this talk, Peter will take you through this rich history of ethnomycology (i.e. the human-fungal relation) – from the fungi-filled origins of life on Earth, to the increasingly bright future of mycology, the science of fungi. By the end, you’ll know several accessible means for bringing the many gifts of working with fungi into your life, livelihood, and landscape, as well as how you can get involved in this important and exciting field.

How to watch the event: Visit https://www.facebook.com/omsi.museum/live/ or join us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/omsimuseum

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