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Mushroom ID for Beginners

Saturday and Sunday, December 13 - 14
or Saturday and Sunday, December 20 - 21
with Naturalist and Mycologist Mario Abreu at the MCBG Farmhouse

Mushroom ID for Beginners is an in-depth two-day workshop consisting of an interactive lecture (Sat) with demonstrations, followed by an optional Field ID Walk (Sun) to find mushrooms associated with the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens' native plant communities. Naturalist and Mycologist, Mario Abreu will teach the basic taxonomic identifying features that distinguish mushrooms from each other, where each unique mushroom species can be found, when they can be found, and the myths associated with them. 

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The guided walk is optional. Class participants can also explore our wild mushroom collection on their own time armed with a list of species commonly found at the Gardens. The Gardens is home to more than 160 species of wild mushrooms during fall and winter!

 

The Details​

  • Saturday's Lecture will take place in the MCBG Farmhouse/Education Center from 10:30AM to 3PM with a lunch break from 12:30PM to 1PM.

  • Sunday's Field ID Walk will meet at the MCBG Farmhouse at one of the two optional times 9AM or 11:30AM (max 8 per walk).

  • The class will include indoor instruction on Saturday and a guided field walk on Sunday. Be prepared for the weather with appropriate layers.

  • We recommend bringing along drinking water, a notebook, and a pen both days. Bring a sack lunch on Saturday.

  • If you are sick, please stay home. 

 

Workshop Registration

Class size is limited! Registration for this workshop must be completed in advance online or at the MCBG Store. The registration fee is $78.28 per participant or $66.95 for MCBG Members (prices include service fee) and covers your admission for both days, the lecture, and the Field ID Walk. All fees are non-refundable unless the workshop has been canceled or rescheduled by the Gardens. â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹Proceeds support our nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Registration – $78.28 ($75.00 price + $3.28 service fee) per participant, includes Gardens admission for the day

Member Registration – $66.95 ($65.00 price + $2.95 service fee) per current MCBG Member – sign in to access discount​

About the Instructor

 

Mario Abreu retired from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens as the Plant Propagation Supervisor, Natural Areas Coordinator, and Collections Curator after 20 years. Mario holds degrees in Natural History, and Liberal Arts and Science. He has interned for the California Department of Fish and Game Mesocarnivore Assessment, Denver Botanical Gardens Applied Plant Conservation Program, and the College of the Redwoods Plant/Lichen Herbarium.​

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Mario has led guided mushroom walks at the Gardens for more than 18 years and Mushroom Identification classes for the past 15 years. Additionally, he has provided mushroom walks for the California State Parks/Mendo Parks New Year’s Day Event, Visit Mendocino County Mushroom Festival Events, and private tours.

​Mario is a passionate natural history volunteer docent for the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, California State Parks, MendoParks, Dorothy King Young Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, and the UC Berkeley Sudden Oak Death Blitz Citizen Science Program. He also finds time to manage natural history displays at the Ford House Museum in Mendocino that include wildflowers, mushrooms, and the local Ecological Terrace Staircase and its associated Pygmy Forest plant community. 

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