BC communities and organizations host many dozens of events over the course of a year, most of them in the autumn.
The majority of these events get listed, sooner or later, on the Fungi Events forum at the UBC Botanical Gardens site. Check this site regularly to find out where you can join others to learn about local mushrooms.
Also touch base with your local mushroom club or natural history club–these organizations often have informative presentations at their regular meetings. In Victoria, connect with SVIMS, the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. In Vancouver, the place to meet up is VMS, the Vancouver Mycological Society.
We will list certain fungal events on these pages, especially those that involve the authors of Mushrooms of BC.
The 2022 mushroom season has closed here. With the poorest showing of mushrooms in living memory (and dryest 3 1/2 months of weather in meteorological records) in the dryer areas of Southern Vancouver Island. We had a nearly complete failure of mycorrhizal mushrooms. Still, we were able to find interesting species at most of the events.
We’ll leave the 2022 list below (but pinked out) in case you want to query sites about 2023 plans.
Andy and/or Kem will be involved in upcoming Vancouver Island mushroom festivals and courses.
Strathcona Wilderness Institute Mycology Workshop, September 17-18, 2022.
Bamfield Fungus Festival, September 22-24, 2022. A parallel themed stay at the Bamfield Outer Shores Lodge runs from September 20-24.
The Cumberland Community Forest Society hosts the Cumberland Fungus Fest on September 29-October 1, 2022. Andy will be a speaker and walk leader. There is also a fundraiser talk at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 28.
The Alberni Valley Museum is displaying the BC Museum traveling exhibit on BC’s Marvelous Mushrooms in October and November. Andy and Kem will be at the Museum to give a talk and do book signings on Thursday, October 6, 1 pm.
The Raincoast Education Society offers the course Mushrooms of the West Coast in Ucluelet from October 7 to 9, 2022.
The South Vancouver Island Mycological Society (SVIMS) will be sponsoring several members-only forays in the fall of 2022. Watch for announcements on the SVIMS web site.
The annual Whistler Fungus Among Us festival happens on October 14-15, 2022. Andy and Kem will be leading walks.
On October 19 (lecture) and 20 (lab day), 2022, Kem and Andy are offering a hands-on mushroom workshop, Mushrooms of Greater Victoria through University of Victoria Continuing Studies. See p. 55 of the UVic Continuing Studies Calendar.
The SVIMS annual Cowichan Foray happens on October 21-23 at the Cowichan Lake Education Centre. Andy and Kem will be leading walks and helping with the IDs. Unfortunately, it is fully subscribed–names are only being taken for a waiting list.
The Mid-Island Mushroom Festival at Coombs is back. This year it is on Sunday, October 23. Andy and Kem will be at the event from noon on. Copies of Mushrooms of British Columbia will be on sale at the Mulberry Bookstore booth and the authors will be there signing copies.
The Mayne Island Conservancy is sponsoring a mushroom walk on Thursday, October 27, 1:00 pm. Andy and Kem will be leading the walk.
On October 28 (lecture) and 29 (lab day), 2022, Kem and Andy are offering a hands-on mushroom workshop, Mushrooms of Greater Victoria through University of Victoria Continuing Studies. See p. 55 of the UVic Continuing Studies Calendar.
The Metchosin Mycoblitz will take place on November 4, 2022 (talk in the evening) and November 5 (walk in the a.m.) This will be a post-COVID relaunch of the Metchosin Talk and Walk series. More details coming.
Sunday, November 6, 2022, 10 am to 4 pm, is the annual SVIMS Mushroom Show. This year it is as St. Luke’s Anglican Church, 3821 Cedar Hill Cross Road. Come by and say “hi” to Andy and Kem.
Kem will be leading the Fabulous Fungi walk for CRD Parks on Sunday, December 6, 1:30 pm.
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary is hosting Wild Mushrooms, a mushroom talk and walk, on Wed, Nov 9, and Saturday, Nov 12, 2022, led by Kem and Andy.
On Novemberf 12 (lecture) and 13 (lab day), 2022, Kem and Andy are offering a hands-on mushroom workshop, Mushrooms of Greater Victoria through University of Victoria Continuing Studies. See p. 55 of the UVic Continuing Studies Calendar.