MAW’s September monthly meeting will feature a presentation titled “Look Down Not Up: The First Ever Mushroom Trek to Everest Base Camp”.
We are on Zoom again this month (link below). Before joining the meeting, you should update your Zoom program to version 5.11.10.
Rick Silber, MAW member and the executive director of International Mountain Trekking, Inc. (“IMT”), will describe IMT's recent mushroom trek in the Khumbu (Everest) region of Nepal. Shiva Devkota, Ph.D, Nepal's foremost mycologist (and also a MAW member) led a group of mycophiles on the trek, including in MAW member Thomas Roehl (now pursuing his Ph.D. at Clark University) and other mushroom citizen/scientists. Rick will discuss the rich biological and cultural diversity of Nepal, it’s unique geomorphology and the challenges and fun of finding mushrooms in the throne-room of the mountain gods (over 150 species of rare and unusual mushroom species found on this year's trek).
Rick Silber is a co-founder of the Himalayan Climate & Science Institute www.hcsi-nepal.org and is the executive director of IMT. A former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Rick started his own law firm in DC in 1992. Outside of law, Rick holds a passion for trekking and mountain climbing. His climbs include, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Breithorn, the Munch and Pollux in the Alps, mountains in the Alaska range, and Lobuche and Mera Peaks in Nepal.
Remember to upload your recent observations to MAW’s iNaturalist project (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mycological-association-of-washington-dc) for inclusion in the virtual ID table, along with observations recorded from last weekend's Sequanota foray . There should be lots of interesting things to see.
As usual, Elizabeth Hargrave will provide updates on club activities (including a report on last weekend's Sequanota foray) and mushrooms in the news, and Mitch Fournet and Annie Weissman will review recent finds submitted by our members. Time permitting, John Harper will talk briefly about the opening of the new Park Research Forum on MAW's website, inviting members to help gather information about local parks and other areas for mushroom forays and analyzing the rules that might restrict mushroom gathering.
We're virtual again this month via Zoom. Here are the login credentials, including passcode should you need it.
Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09
Meeting ID 966 9369 0911 Passcode 330827
One Tap Mobile+13017158592,,96693690911#,,,,*330827# US (Washington DC)
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kQ9hr47WO
