Join experienced mycologist Rick Van de Poll for a colorful tour of the fantastic (and infamous) fungi of New Hampshire at the Freedom Town Forest on September 5th from 9am-Noon. Dive into the microscopic world of fungal growth and development, meet up with mycelium and mycorrhiza, and learn how to separate the edible from the poisonous, and the common from the rare. This guided walk will infect the beginner and the practiced amateur with fun-filled facts about our most mysterious kingdom of organisms on the planet!

Dr. Rick Van de Poll is the principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants (EMC) of Sandwich, New Hampshire. He has taught Mycology at the undergraduate and graduate level for over 25 years. He has been on the Northeast Mycological Federation (NEMF) Faculty list since 1996, and is currently the President of NEMF and the Sandwich Area Mushroom Club.

The Freedom Town Forest is 2,661 acres of woods, fields, mountains, streams, and ponds. This walk is being held as part of the 2021 NH BioBlitz, an effort to get community members out exploring species on town-owned lands all over New Hampshire during the month of September. Attendees are invited to participate in the BioBlitz effort by submitting their mushroom species observations to iNaturalist. To learn more about the NH BioBlitz, visit: https://extension.unh.edu/programs/nh-bioblitz.

This event is free, but space is limited due to current UNH COVID-related policies. Registration is required.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions: Group size is limited and the entire program will be held outdoors. Participants will be required to complete a simple online health screening before leaving home. Additional information will be sent upon registration.

Sponsoring Organizations: UNH Extension, Freedom Conservation Commission