Introduction to Ethnomycology is a comprehensive class designed to explore the fascinating intersection between human societies and fungi. Ethnomycology, the study of the relationship between people and fungi, encompasses a diverse range of topics including cultural practices, folklore, culinary traditions, medicinal uses, ecological roles, and the impact of fungi on human history and development. Throughout this class, students will delve into the rich tapestry of human-fungal interactions, gaining insights into the cultural, social, and scientific significance of fungi in various societies around the world, including current and future prospects.

Course Objectives:

Understanding Cultural Perspectives: Students will examine the diverse cultural perspectives and beliefs surrounding fungi across different societies, including myths, rituals, and spiritual practices associated with mushrooms and other fungal organisms.

Exploring Culinary and Medicinal Uses: This course will delve into the culinary and medicinal applications of fungi, including traditional recipes, herbal remedies, and contemporary culinary trends involving mushrooms and other fungi.

Examining Ecological Relationships: Students will explore the ecological roles of fungi in various ecosystems, including their symbiotic relationships with plants, decomposition processes, and ecological significance as indicators of environmental health.

Analyzing Historical and Contemporary Contexts: Through case studies and historical accounts, students will analyze the historical significance of fungi in human societies and examine contemporary issues related to ethnomycology, such as sustainability, conservation, and biocultural diversity.

Current and Future Prospects of human-fungal relationships. Exploring through the lens of allies.

Shane Schoolman, CEO and Co-Founder of MyCOLove Farm, received his degree from CU Boulder in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and has been researching mycology from many aspects since 2016. Knowing how to cultivate organic, potent medicine, creating high quality therapeutic extracts and educating are all a passions of his that he wants to share with budding mycologists. A Core Value of MyCOLove Farms is education. The mycology space is lacking in medicinal mycology understanding and we feel it’s imperative that we explore this realm to better apply functional mushrooms to our daily lives.

Michael Heim, COO and Co-Founder of MyCOLove Farm, is a mushroom enthusiast that was hooked on Fungi the very first time he ever went morel hunting in 2008. He’s a longtime member of the Colorado Mycological Society (2010) that has served in a variety of positions: board member, president, and editor. For twenty years he cut his teeth in the restaurant industry fueling his appetite for all things wild. This propelled him to start his own mushroom foraging and education company in 2015, Enso Farm and Forage. He is one of only a handful of CDPHE Wild Mushroom Expert Certificate holders, allowing him to sell wild foraged mushrooms to Colorado restaurants and markets alike. His experiences in the field are as diverse as Fungi itself, ranging from an internship at a big commercial operation in Nevada to small-scale Community Supported Ag (CSA) farms along the Front Range of Colorado to consulting on a burgeoning food forest along the southern coast of Sweden. Michael has a sincere passion for everything mushroom related. He believes wholeheartedly what Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Cancellations within 2 weeks of workshop are NOT REFUNDABLE, but may be transferrable