An entire mycelium of experts will spread the spores of fungal knowledge at the 2024 Moorabool Mushroom Festival.
The annual event is due to return to the Bacchus Marsh Town Hall across March 24 and 25, and will celebrate all things fungi.
The program includes workshops, art, a social event, a market and more than 24 talks covering topics such as ecology, citizen-science, cultivation, foraging, food, medicine, mycoremediation and mycomaterials.
The festival is hosted by MYCOmmunity, a not-for-profit community organisation that aims to increase public awareness about fungi and the vital role they play in the ecosystem, for health and environmental sustainability.
The non-profit event will put proceeds from the festival into event costs, to next year’s festival or to local citizen science projects such as monitoring fungi in Wombat Forest.
MYCOmmunity president Ema Corro said the event has talks and workshops to suit everyone.
“Anything from total beginner to fungi fanatic,” she said.
“I love the opportunity to learn more about fungi from all the different speakers and participants. I also really enjoy seeing the community get together.
Ms Corro said she’s particularly excited for book launches at the festival including Mushroom Magic: an Illustrated Introduction to Fantastic Fungi by Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, as well as MYCOmmunity’s pocket guide to fungi of the Melbourne region.
“I’m also really looking forward to hearing Justine Karst who is a mycologist from the US who has done some important research on mycorrhizal fungi,” she said.
“We’re also really excited to be presenting the results from some of our own local research in Wombat Forest at the event. This includes an environmental DNA study on the effects of storm damage on soil fungi.”
Details: myco.org.au/fungi-festival/
