Fungi. What are they? Where are they and what roles do they play in terrestrial ecosystems? How do they get their energy? How do they grow? What do they taste like? How do they interact with other organisms? During this two-quarter long program we will answer these and other questions about fungi.

Fall quarter will cover the fundamentals of fungal biology, ecology, diversity and systematics, with an emphasis on the musrhoom-forming fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Students will learn to describe and identify fungi using morphological and microscopic techniques and utilize a variety of taxonomic keys. Students will participate in a quarter-long project to curate their own collections of herbarium-quality mushroom specimens and learn to identify local mushroom species on sight. Several multi-day field trips and day trips will provide students with an opportunity for collecting specimens and studying the natural history of western Washington.

During winter quarter, we will explore the diversity other groups of fungi and and study fungi through the lens of forest ecology. Forest ecosystems rest on a foundation of fungi, and students will read the primiary scientific literature to learn about the pivotal roles fungi play as mutualists to plants and animals, as nutrient cyclers, disease-causing agents, and indicators of environmental change. Lab work will focus on advanced methods and examining taxonomically-challenging groups of fungi. Students will also learn about museum curation by organizing and accessioning the class mushroom collection for submission into the Evergreen herbarium.

Students will engage in a two-quarter-long group research project relating to fungi. Research topics may include ecology or taxonomy-focused lab and field studies, cultivation or herbarium research. During fall quarter, students will participate in research and writing seminars and quantitative skills workshops to inform their research.  Each group will prepare a concise research proposal including a thorough literature review and a pilot study exploring the most appropriate data collection and analysis methods for answering their research questions. During winter quarter, students will conduct research experiments in the field and/or lab, analyze their data and write a research paper outlining their results.