There were many fascinating facts learned about mushrooms at the 11th annual Fungus Among us Mushroom Festival created by the Whistler Naturalists.

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It is evident that we love mushrooms in Whistler as 200 adults and children turned out for the chance to traipse through the forest with 16 mushroom experts. This is a unique opportunity indeed and the beautiful October weather made it that much more fun.

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After the Saturday morning forays in the forest, attendees were treated to a cooking demonstration with Alta Bistro’s Edward Dangerfield and a fungi display.

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The goal of the event is education and to raise awareness of how many different fungi species make Whistler home. In fact 200 species of fungi were found at the event, including over 20 new species not inventoried in Whistler before. The event helps community members appreciate all the many components that make up the local ecosystems.

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 "It's a way of getting information out to a wider audience about a group of organisms that most people don't think about very often and they certainly don't realize how important the fungi are in the biosphere. I'm always going around saying, 'No fungi — no forest.' That's a good saying because every tree in the forest has a vital relationship with some of the fungi that live in the soil there."

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-Bryce Kendrick- Mushroom guru