Mushroom microscopy workshop

Many mushrooms can't be identified by macro features alone. Using a microscope to view spores and other microscopic features is essential to identifying these kind of fungi. Good quality microscopes have become affordable to amateurs, or they can be used at community science centres such as Mycelium Lab.

This workshop is suitable for beginners to intermediate. You will learn:
- How to use different types of microscopes including compound, stereo, oil immersion lens and camera attachments.
- The different parts of the mushroom and how to use them for identification.
- Microscopic structures; how to recognise them, what they are and how to use them in identification.
- How to prepare slides, including rehydrating dried samples, taking samples from different parts of the mushroom to view different features, using stains, making a spore print, etc.

If you have a mushroom you want identified please bring it along!

There are also options for doing further tests such as DNA barcoding, which can be discussed with anyone who is interested.

Community guidelines:

We ask all participants to follow our Community Standards document. While we support harm-minimisation and decriminalisation of medicinal fungi, as a small non-profit we need to follow all relevant legislation and maintain an inclusive and family friendly atmosphere. We also need to ensure that our facilities and equipment are used safely. We also ask that people respect the space, equipment and keep the lab clean and tidy. Our Community Standards document can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TIooIFlCol1oab54RrT7TNj-9Jusmj7X/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116278434675891134499&rtpof=true&sd=true

Joint event with Mycelium Laboratories Inc

There are limited tickets so please book ahead!