May 12, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
Fungi and plants are ideal life partners, there is evidence that they may have even facilitated each other’s move onto land over a billion years ago. Fungi take in oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide, while breaking down rock and organic matter to release nutrients essential for plants to grow. Plants recycle the carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen, while photosynthesizing to produce carbon sugars which they share with fungi so that both plants and fungi can flourish. There are a multitude of interesting relationships, each of which is unique. Join us with educator Luke Sarrantonio as we peel back the curtain and take a peek at these amazing organisms and the fascinating connections they rely on to survive and thrive. Also, learn about ways we can facilitate these relationships to influence the health of the ecosystems that we live in and gardens that we tend to.
Luke Sarrantonio (website – instagram) grew up in a small rural town in the upper Hudson Valley/Catskill Region (about 2 hours north of NYC) and spent much of his childhood exploring the fascinating interwoven ecosystems that make up this unique natural landscape. In college at SUNY ESF he was blessed to work under some truly inspiring minds in the world of Life Sciences and Mycology (study of fungi). Following his passion through travels in the Pacific Northwest and work on a shiitake farm in the finger lakes region of New York, he eventually landed back in the Hudson Valley. Currently he is working to develop education programming and mushroom based products under the name Mycophilic: for the love of Fungi.
This will be a Zoom meeting. Free registration required.
