Ep. 108: Mushrooms of Cascadia, Mentoring Stamets & the Promise of Psilocybe (feat. Prof. Michael Beug)

01/10/22 • 89 min

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed by the presence of the illustrious Dr. Michael Beug. Dr. Beug taught chemistry, mycology and organic farming at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington for 32 years. He lectures to mushroom enthusiasts throughout the Western US and loves to teach beginners workshops. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) where he serves as Editor of the Journal McIlvainea, Chair of the Toxicology Committee, and member of the Education Committee. Michael has served four terms as President of The Pacific Northwest Key Council, a group dedicated to writing macroscopic keys for the identification of fungi. His specialties are the genus Ramaria and all toxic and hallucinogenic mushrooms. He is also doing research on oak-associated fungi of the Columbia River Gorge, especially Cortinarius species. His newest book is Mushrooms of Cascadia and he regularly writes about mushrooms in McIlvainea, The Mycophile, Fungi, and Mushroom: The Journal of Wild Mushrooming and he somehow finds the time to be on the editorial board of Fungi magazine. I’m excited to learn from this master mycology educator about the past, present and future of mushrooms.
TOPICS COVERED:

Early Career at Evergreen & Becoming a Mycologist
DDT Controversy, Research into PCBs and Heavy Metals
Multidisciplinary Teaching Career and Collaboration at Evergreen College
Paul Stamets Jeremy Bigwood & Jonathan Ott Introduce Psilocybe
Being Paul Stamets’ Professor & Friend
Modern Psilocybin History from Wasson, Leary & Alpert to Recent Decriminalization
Evolution of Academic Mycology
Importance of Amateur Naturalists in Mycology
Global Political Theory & Creating Positive Change
Averting Disaster, Listening to Nature
Rise of Mushroom Culture
Psilocybin, Empathy & Hope
Mushrooms of Cascadia & Next Book on Regenerative Design
Trippy Tales featuring Mushroom Legends at Brightenbush

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Mushrooms of Cascadia Website: https://www.mushroomsofcascadia.com/
Mushrooms of Cascadia Book: https://fungi.com/products/mushrooms-of-cascadia
Columbia River Gorge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge
North American Mycological Association: https://namyco.org/
Fungi Magazine: https://www.fungimag.com/
Pacific Northwest Key Council: https://www.svims.ca/council/
MycoMatch: https://www.mycomatch.com/index.htm
Hericium erinaceus (AKA Lions Mane): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
Trametes versicolor (AKA Turkey Tail): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor

Early Career at Evergreen & Becoming a Mycologist
DDT Controversy, Research into PCBs and Heavy Metals
Multidisciplinary Teaching Career and Collaboration at Evergreen College
Paul Stamets Jeremy Bigwood & Jonathan Ott Introduce Psilocybe
Being Paul Stamets’ Professor & Friend
Modern Psilocybin History from Wasson, Leary & Alpert to Recent Decriminalization
Evolution of Academic Mycology
Importance of Amateur Naturalists in Mycology
Global Political Theory & Creating Positive Change
Averting Disaster, Listening to Nature
Rise of Mushroom Culture
Psilocybin, Empathy & Hope
Mushrooms of Cascadia & Next Book on Regenerative Design
Trippy Tales featuring Mushroom Legends at Brightenbush

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Mushrooms of Cascadia Website: https://www.mushroomsofcascadia.com/
Mushrooms of Cascadia Book: https://fungi.com/products/mushrooms-of-cascadia
Columbia River Gorge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge
North American Mycological Association: https://namyco.org/
Fungi Magazine: https://www.fungimag.com/
Pacific Northwest Key Council: https://www.svims.ca/council/
MycoMatch: https://www.mycomatch.com/index.htm
Hericium erinaceus (AKA Lions Mane): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
Trametes versicolor (AKA Turkey Tail): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor

Previous Episode

Ep. 107: Lingzhi Girl - Uniting East & West, Nature & Modernity, Death & Immortality (feat. Xiaojing Yan)

Xiaojing Yan is a Canadian artist whose work embraces the combination of her Chinese roots and education at Nanjing Arts Institute (B.F.A., 2000) with higher education at George Brown College in Toronto (2004) and an M.F.A. in sculpture at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2007). Her unique point of view brings together the past and the present, encompasses culture and nature, art and science. Yan is a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Project Grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, the Chalmers Arts Fellowship, Mid-career Grants from Ontario Arts Council, and many more. Most recently, she has had solo shows at Maison Hermès, Shanghai, China, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON, Canada, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC, Canada and Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, ON, Canada. Yan has also completed public art projects and commissions in Canada and China including her 2018 installation Cloudscape at the Royal Ontario Museum and 2019 Window display "Into the Dream" for Maison Hermès. It’s my pleasure to learn more about the unique ethos behind her art and her intimate relationship with reishi mushroom, also known as lingzhi.
TOPICS COVERED:

Following the Artists' Path from China to Canada
Engaging Space in Creating Art
Inspiration from Chinese Mythologies, Stories and Iconographies
Connection to Nature in Eastern and Western Cultures
Forces of Modernization Reshaping Relationships with Nature
Rise of the “Moderners”
Weighing Human Progress and Environmental Homeostasis
Imbuing Art with Meaning Before and After Creation
Pearls and Cicadas used to make Sculptures
Roles of Artists in Communicating Balance in Nature
Making Art with Lingzhi AKA Reishi
Chinese Culture and the Mushroom of Immortality
Cocreating Art with Nature
Rise of Mycelium in Art and Design

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Xiaojing Yan Website: https://yanxiaojing.com/
Xiaojing Yan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xiaojing.yan.studio/?hl=en
Lingzhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_(mushroom)
"Scholar's Stone": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongshi
"Classic of Mountains and Seas": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas

Next Episode

Ep. 109: Integrated Land Enhancement & Applied Mycology (feat. Leif Olson)

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the incredible opportunity to speak with Integrated Land Enhancement found Leif Olson. A native of the western North Carolina mountains, Leif grew up with a deep sense of connection and appreciation for nature. Early on this relationship was primarily through a creative and imaginative lens, but after over a decade of researching and working in ecology, chemistry, mycology, landscaping and sustainable agriculture he now works to study and improve the natural world with an interdisciplinary approach. After receiving a Bachelor's of Science in Ecology from University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master of Environmental Management in Ecotoxicology at Duke University, Leif spent the following years becoming versed in the rapidly emerging fields of applied mycology and soil biology. Though it may be unbeknownst to many, we are currently living in a renaissance of knowledge for understanding the processes and interconnectivity of nature. What a great opportunity to learn from a hands-on expert about how we can leverage our emerging understanding of plants, fungi, microorganisms, nutrients, water and more to enhance the resiliency, fertility and productivity of our landscapes.
TOPICS COVERED: