The Whistler Naturalists would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2017, 15th annual Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival.

 

As our 20 expert leaders assembled here from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, the buzz was that there were almost no mushrooms in the woods anywhere. Mushrooms rely on moisture and this had been one of the driest summers in memory. Expectations were low and we hoped for the best.

 

After compiling preliminary results, at least 164 different mushroom species were found! Of these, 18 have never before been documented in Whistler. Our new total for the Whistler list is close to 900 fungal species, almost entirely from Fungus Among Us and BioBlitz.

 

We couldn't run the festival without our 20 fabulous mushroom gurus who gave talks, led walks, and labelled and presided over the mushroom display. We were again fortunate that Chef Bruce Worden joined us as he outdid himself with dish after delicious fungal dish.

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