For our final monthly meeting of 2020 we're going to hear from one of MAWDC's own, Dr. William Davis, as he tells us about chytrid fungi. Chytrid species can be devastating pathogens, such as the two species that are parasites of amphibians, and responsible for the many threatened species of frogs, etcetera in the biota of Central America. However, many species are saprobes and are key to degrading pollen in soils and freshwaters. Many species are algal parasites and help transfer the energy in algal cells to zooplankton. There is even a group of chytrid fungi that live in the guts of cows and other animals that help them digest their food!

For our short program, we're going to hear from University of Oregon professor Dr. Roo Vandegrift, as he tells us a little about the mushrooms of the Ecuadorian Amazon region.   Gosh, what a great evening we're going to have!

Also, please note that we're going to have a bonus event in December, on the 8th, for the folks who need to hear the basics ... and for those of us who need to hear them again!  Here's a short write-up about what to expect on the 8th, so be sure to mark your calendar!

On Tuesday, December 8, at 7 PM, we've scheduled a special bonus presentation. A few members have asked for a "Mushrooms 101" session. We figured we'd just make this its own one-off meeting rather than part of one of our regularly scheduled monthly meetings. MAW VP Elizabeth Hargrave will give an overview about what a mushroom is, some of the major groups of mushrooms, and important characteristics to look for when you're trying to tackle identifying a mushroom (or taking a picture to get someone else's help). She promises lots of pretty pictures!

We'll be virtual again this month, of course, via Zoom.  Here are the login credentials, including passcode should you need it.

Meeting ID 966 9369 0911
Passcode  330827