BATTLEGROUND, Ala. – Despite chilly temps and competition with the opening week of Cullman County Fair, the Alabama Mushroom Society (AMS) saw a great turnout at this weekend’s second annual Mushroom Faire at Camp Liberty in Battleground. The two-day festival was equal parts fun and informative, as nearby neighbors and travelers from all across north Alabama alike settled into the picturesque wild areas of Camp Liberty to forage and identify.
Among cooking demos, textile arts and informative speakers, attendees gathered at the outdoor amphitheater for the daily foray. Spencer Lowery, guide of the second day morning foray, noted the walks were a bit more intensive than typical monthly forays hosted by AMS.
“These walks are for vouchering, so we’re going to go out and take photos of the mushrooms in their habitat and get as much description as we can. We’ll fill these slips out, and then head to the sequencing table,” he said, gesturing to a stack of sequencing vouchers. “We’re really just aiming to expand our knowledge of what’s here.”
Alisha Millican, president of AMS, said that despite less-than-ideal conditions for identification, major headway was made in expanding the database of known fungi in North Alabama during the faire.
“We were able, despite very dry conditions, to make 133 fungal collections. All of these are being sequenced by the Ohio Mushroom DNA Lab and vouchered at the Herbarium at the University of West Alabama,” said Millican, explaining that mushrooms have seasons just as typical flora. “The specimens give a great snapshot of what can be found at this time of year, in this area, and will contribute to the knowledge we have of fungi in Alabama.”
Millican also noted the impact these gatherings have on budding scientists in the community, saying the family friendly nature not only fosters a positive environment for learning, but can also lead to some surprising – and historic – discoveries.
“Two of those collections were made by two children whose names will be down in perpetuity as collectors of these specimens,” she said. “I showed them their collections under the microscope and could be planting seeds of interest that may impact their future careers and appreciation for the natural world!”
AMS will have a booth at Peinhardt Farm Days this weekend, Oct. 13-14, and will also be doing presentations at the Moss Rock Festival in Hoover next month, Nov. 4-5.
To stay up to date on future events hosted by AMS, visit www.facebook.com/AlabamaMushroomSociety.
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