FUNGI of all shapes and sizes, colours and methods of growth were the subject of a fascinating field day held by the Bessie Creek /Ararat Creek Landcare Group on Sunday.
Dr Mary Cole, mycologist and Director of Agpath laboratory, was the guest speaker.
This fungi talk and walk followed by a cook-up of edible species attracted great interest.
The event was attended by 30 people from across Cardinia and Yarra Ranges Shires.
Dr Cole emphasised the huge importance of healthy soil as the very basis for sustainable agriculture, environmental biodiversity and a healthy lifestyle for us all.
She opened the eyes of the audience to the wonderful microbial and fungal world below the ground, as well as the visible fungal world seen above ground in the form of mushrooms and toadstools.
Landcarers gathered at a Trust for Nature and Landcare property on the Ararat Creek for Dr Cole’s indoor presentation with slides of a range of edible, non-edible and very poisonous fungi.
She says that proper identification is absolutely vital if people are going to eat fungi. This includes gill colour and formation, the cap, the presence or absence of rings and below ground shape.
There are no general rules (it is not true that all that can be peeled are edible), and each needs to be individually identified.
Cream of mushroom soup followed the presentation, and then the group ranged around the farm area learning about toadstools, compost, lichens, soil and mushrooms.
They returned to enjoy a wok dish of a variety of fungi, both local and exotic.
The second part of the program took place on a Landcare property on the Bessie Creek catchment. Here the youngest member of the family (enthusiastic schoolboy botanist Lachie Howell) showed guests around the fungi biodiversity growing among the regenerated area of indigenous plants.
The day finished with much talk and a welcome cuppa.
Bessie Creek/ Ararat Creek Landcare Group can be contacted on 5942 8313 or 5942 8404.
