Hello team fungi - I'm very excited to share the lineup for our next monthly meeting tonight.  We have so much great content to share!

We'll begin at 7pm sharp (zoom deets below), and as usual, I'll try to get us on the right tack with a few, quick updates before passing the baton to club vice-president April Thompson.  You may recall April recently competed a survey focusing on ways we, the board, may better administer the club, and in this segment she'll share the results.  We listen to your feedback, and we do our best to continue to make our club a success.

Up next, I am so happy to announce we'll hear from my friend Barbora Batokova, president of the Western PA mushroom club, as she tells us about common edible mushrooms.  Barbora isn't just about identifying mushrooms though, she's a talented cook who can tell you what to do with those wild edibles once they're in your collecting baskets, and she's an avid photographer too.  All these points are on clear display in her book 'Hunting Mushrooms'.  I have a copy on my bookshelf, and I'd recommend it.

To close out the meeting, I'll re-take the wheel to discuss a subject that I'm quite passionate about.  Recall I have the Irish surname 'McCoy', and you'll understand why.

In my presentation I'll discuss the Irish Potato Famine, an event that defines the Emerald Isle. It's a presentation in three parts. In the first act we'll learn about the history of the humble potato, and how this tuber became one of the most important food crops. The second act focuses on watermolds, and the witheringly destructive pathogenic organisms they can be. The third act discusses the political climate that inflated the effects of the famine, rather than providing relief to a starving populace. The Great Famine defines modern Irish mentality, and after listening to this presentation, you'll understand why.

Happy (mushroom) hunting, and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tom McCoy

MAWDC president

Zoom Link: 

https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09

Meeting ID 966 9369 0911

Passcode  330827

One Tap Mobile +13017158592,,96693690911#,,,,*330827# US (Washington DC)

Find your local Zoom access number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kQ9hr47WO