Foray for Fungi!
Sue Van Hook
The dry weather this summer may have made the mushrooms a little shy at Mount Independence for this year's "Foray for Fungi," but that didn't prevent us from having a terrific program on Saturday, August 21. Over 30 people joined mycologist Sue Van Hook for a stroll along parts of the Baldwin Trail and the Blue Trail. With the site being so dry it took keen and watchful eyes to spot tantalizing specimens. But if anything, this made the hike all the more fun, almost like a treasure hunt. And we nevertheless found a wide variety of mushrooms, from carbon fungus to turkey tales and hen of the woods.
Sue also discussed the various ways fungi can be useful: cleaning up oil spills, cancer treatment, color dyes and even bio-degradable packing materials.
If you missed this hike, we are expecting to have Sue return next year, perhaps with a more comprehensive program, so stay tuned.