Fungi All Around Us will introduce you to the world of the fungi. Informal lectures and other events at the Telluride Mushroom Festival (and virtual / online) will explore how fungi impact our everyday lives. Fungi are important pathogens for humans and agricultural crops. They are also of great utility in the manufacturing of food and medicine. Finally, fungi coexist with all plants on the planet. Some of the most bizarre—and beautiful—fungi produce mushrooms and a firsthand examination of these groups will be emphasized.

The  (1 credit) course will consist of presentations from the Telluride Mushroom Festival taking place in Telluride, Colorado. Required attendance (in person or online) presentations for this course will give a great overview of basic fungal taxonomy, morphology, and physiology; an introduction to fungal chemistry; an overview of the most important fungi to all life on the planet—the endo- and ectomycorrhizal fungi; as well as how modern research is done—by scientists and citizen-scientists, alike. For the mycophile wanting to delve deeper into the wonderful world of mushrooms, there are many additional presentations that are being held during the festival that students will be given access to.

Click HERE for your registration packet!

Submit your registration packet to Extended Studies at: outdoorprograms@western.edu