Mushrooms evoke a wide range of images including fairies and gnomes, poison and decay, and even gourmet dinners for some! To begin to appreciate the numerous roles mushrooms play in ecosystems and human cultures, it is important to be able to find and identify them. In this beginner level walk on the SLU Kip Trail, Claire Burkum, a local mycologist with Burkum Plant Health and Tree Care will introduce us to a few features mycologists use to distinguish different groups of mushrooms. Given the tremendous diversity of fungi in the forest, this walk will only be a start of the development of your mushroom identification skills. Please meet at the Wachtmeister Field Station at 4:00 pm.

Nature Up North events are free and open to the public, with all skill levels and ages welcome. Youth under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

Directions: Wachtmeister Field Station is located at the south end of the SLU campus in Canton. To get there, proceed south down Park St. approx. 0.25 mi past the campus athletic fields. The drive will be on the left coming from the SLU campus and right if coming from Route 27.

Photo: Bill Hill