With more than 50 events planned celebrating the science, food and art of fungi, the Fungi Feastival 2024 is bound to warm up your winter social calendar.
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The month-long celebration of mushrooms and fungi of all kinds will run from June 21 to July 21 across the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla.
Adding to the excitement, Feastival organisers were pleased to announce this week that Dr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher had accepted an invitation to take part.
Dr McMullan-Fisher is an internationally recognised fungi specialist who has a strong interest in the conservation of Australian fungi.
This is significant because Australian fungi differ from those in other parts of the world in the same way that our plants and animals differ.
Dr McMullan-Fisher has worked with many community groups to help them understand the importance of fungi in maintaining healthy bushland and to raise the profile of unique local fungi.
As part of this work, she trains people to make good collections of fungi that can then be used to describe new Australian species.
As a result, she has produced useful fungi field identification guides for a variety of different regions.
Overall, Dr McMullan-Fisher has produced more than 20 publications on fungi including ones related to the impact of fire on fungi and the importance of fungi in the post-fire rehabilitation of land.
On the evening of July 5, Dr McMullan-Fisher will speak about 'What Fungi are doing for our Bushlands' at Cobargo School of Arts.
Her talk will cover the many important ways fungi contribute to our bushland and why fungi were critical for our environment as nutrient recyclers, symbiotic partners to plants, an important component of lichens and a key resource for many of our animals.
Head along to hear some fascinating facts about fungi.
With a warmer and wetter winter predicted, the fungi in our region will be amazing.
So take the opportunity to join Dr McMullan-Fisher in fungal identification and ecology walks. She will be leading two 90-minute walks in Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Gardens on July 6, and another two walks in Bega Valley, location to be confirmed, on July 7.
To learn about fungi with Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, book tickets www.fungifeastival.com.au.
