Fungi and Plants Series

From War to Welfare: The Strange Partnerships of Fungi and Plants

The most active and fascinating area of current research in mycology deals with the way that fungi, including our local forest mushrooms, interact with plants.  Two centuries ago, fungi were thought of as peculiar plants.  Over the course of the twentieth century, mushrooms were moved into their own kingdom.  In the last thirty years, we have begun to realize that the kingdom of plants and the kingdom of fungi, though completely separate kingdoms, are not independent. They form complex partnerships and the partnerships take many different forms.  Sometimes they have developed in ways that seem to benefit the plants.  In other plant/fungi hookups, fungi appear to be exploiting the plants. Many of these relationships, however, have intricate tit-for-tat interactions. In this course, four Victoria scientists will lead us through this world between the plants and fungi.  Students who complete this course will, when they take a walk through the woods of the British Columbia, look at plants and mushrooms in a new way.myc

This course consists of five stand-alone sessions: you can register for a single session or receive a discounted rate if you register for the entire series.

Fees