Join us for a special collab with the Cambridge University Mycological Society
You are invited to an evening of fungi and mycology featuring two guest speakers, Britt Bunyard PhD and Dr Bethan Manley.
Based in Illinois, USA, Britt Bunyard PhD, is editor of FUNGI Magazine, the largest mycology publication in North America, and author of several books, including Amanitas of North America (Fungi Press, 2000) and The Lives of Fungi (Princeton, 2022), as well as Director of the Telluride Mushroom Festival.
Part of Britt’s first ever UK speaking tour, he will be joined by Dr Bethan Manley, Program Manager, Global Data Science at SPUN: Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Bethan began studying underground fungal networks during a PhD at the University of Cambridge examining Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and their genetic interactions with crop plants. She has since continued work on the genomics of symbiotic fungi as a PostDoctoral Researcher, and worked as a Senior Computer Biologist at the Sanger Institute, UK, on the Tree of Life Project that aims to sequence all eukaryotic species on Earth.
The talks and Q&A will last for approximately two hours, followed by a book signing of The Lives of Fungiby Britt Bunyard at the Sir Isaac Newton Pub (84 Castle Street, CB3 0AJ). All are welcome, including existing fungi enthusiasts and those looking to explore the topic for the first time.
We know fungi are important, for us as well as the environment. But how they live, and what they can do, remains mysterious and surprising. Filled with stunning photographs, The Lives of Fungi presents an inside look into their hidden and extraordinary world.
The wonders of fungi are myriad: a mushroom poking up through leaf litter literally overnight, or the sensational hit of umami from truffle shavings. Alexander Fleming cured infections with mold and spiritual guides have long used psychedelic mushrooms to enhance understanding. Then there are the tiny threads of fungi, called hyphae, that create a communications network for the natural world while decomposing organic matter. Combining engaging and accessible text with beautiful images, The Lives of Fungi lays out all the essential facts about fungi for the mycologically curious.
Britt A. Bunyard is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Fungi, the widest circulating mycology magazine in North America. He also serves as executive director of the Telluride Mushroom Festival. His many books include Amanitas of North America, Mushrooms and Macrofungi of Ohio and Midwestern States, and The Beginner’s Guide to Mushrooms.