Science Pub Portland: Why Mushrooms Matter
With Peter McCoy, mycologist, educator, founder of Mycologos.
Oct 3, 7-9PM | Doors @ 6PM | Advance tickets recommended; $5 suggested donation
For millennia, mushrooms and other fungi have been an integral, yet unsung, hero in the human story. The creation of fungi-fermented foods, drinks, and breads paved the ways for the settling of civilizations. Microscopic fungi fill the tissues of all plants, influencing their production of important nutritive and healing compounds that benefit all of life. Large and small fungi are embedded in traditional customs, rituals, and cosmologies, where they have played essential roles in shaping the development of ancient cultures. Even today, novel applications of mushroom cultivation are providing unprecedented means for addressing important global issues – from food shortages to excess pollution – while also reframing our understanding of essential ecosystem processes. In this talk, Peter will take you through this rich history of ethnomycology (i.e. the human-fungal relation) and explain how fungi have shaped and supported the natural and human-made world along the way.
Peter McCoy is a renowned mycology researcher and educator who has endeavored to understand and share the world of fungi with others for over 20 years. He is the author of Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing and Working with Fungi (Chthaeus Press, 2016) and The Mycocultural Revolution:Transforming Our World with Mushrooms, Lichens, and Other Fungi (Microscosm Publishing, 2022).as well as the founder of the mycology advocacy organization Radical Mycology, the Fungi Film Festival, and the founder and lead instructor at Mycologos an applied mycology school and experimental fungi farm based in Portland, Oregon. Alongside his work with fungi, Peter can be often found making art, pondering mysteries, or wandering the great forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Zoom Option
If you are unable to join us in person, you can watch on zoom. You must register in advance using this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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Questions? Email sciencepub@omsi.edu
Ticketing questions call 503.797.4000 x0
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to join us in person, you can watch on zoom. You must register in advance via the ticketing page. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
To guarantee a seat at this event, we recommend you purchase your ticket in advance. Please show your ticket at the check-in table in front of the theater upon arrival.
We will always have tickets available at the door. They are first-come, first-served and admission will remain a suggested donation.
Yes, OMSI’s restaurant, Theory will be open with pizza and salads. The bar will be open to guests that are 21+. No outside food or drink is allowed.
OMSI is switching to a new parking system via the mobile parking app, Parking Kitty, to create an easier and more streamlined experience for our visitors. OMSI parking will cost $5 + fees for 2 hours or $8 + fees for all day parking. Parking is $2 + fees for after-hours events.
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