March 10
Robert Blanchett, University of Minnesota Professor of Plant Pathology and a much traveled scientist, gave his presentation "Unusual and Mysterious Uses of Mushrooms." It was all the titled promised. He began the program by describing the ongoing destruction of the camp buildings constructed in the early part of the last century by some of the first Antarctic explorers, including Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton. This damage resulted from fungal attack and the problem was exacerbated by the moisture that accumulated inside the structures during the Antarctic summer when temperatures warmed to over 20 degree Fahrenheit. Apparently there were two kinds of fungi: those that arrived with the lumber and another fungus, native only to the area, which attacked the wood from the ground up. The solution offered by Professor Blanchett was to install ceiling fans to reduce the humidity inside the building and thus retard the growth of the fungi. A search for a comprehensive solution to the problem continues.

The Professor studied similar problems with respect to wood structures in the Arctic region. There, totems were examined, as well as native relics stored in various museums around the country. Many such relics that were believed to be made of wood are actually made from polypore mushrooms. An offshoot of these studies was the chance discovery that some American Indians of the far north use the ash from a certain burned polypore to enhance the physical impact of chewing tobacco. The ash, which is mixed with tobacco, raises its pH level, thus improving the absorption speed of nicotine into the user's system. This manner of using tobacco is very addictive and causes users, including young children, many serious health problems. Area health professionals are working hard to discourage this custom. It is believed that the Native Americans initially mixed the polypore ash with a chewing bark from a particular tree. Russian explorers in the 1800s introduced tobacco to the natives who then began using it instead of the bark.

Native Americans made wide use of polypore mushrooms in their daily lives. Those uses included, among many others, decorations for clothing, in medicine bags, for incense and for curative purposes.

Our members much enjoyed the opportunity to breathe in the mild and relaxing smell of the incense derived from the same species of polypore that has been used by Native Americans for this purpose for untold years.

April 14
Dr. Iris Charvat, Professor of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, gave a presentation titled "The Ecological Significance of Arbuscular Fungi." These fungi are very important to the nutrient intake of plants. She has conducted extensive studies on the relationship of such fungi and prairie plants and in wetlands and degraded habitats. (Look ahead for a detailed review of this presentation.)

May and June Monday Evening Meetings

May 12
Dr. Dennis McKenna, an internationally acclaimed ethnobotanist and ethnopharmocologist, will be our special guest lecturer on...

Mushrooms and the Mind:
What do psychoactive mushrooms tell us about the human mind?

Dr. McKenna has an extraordinarily broad background with over 25 years experience in the biosciences including botany, biochemistry, and neurochemistry, with a particular interest in study of medicinal plants.

He is well known for his ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian and Brazilian Amazon. He was a primary organizer and key scientific collaborator in the Hoasca Project, an international biomedical study of Ayahausca, a psychedelic drink used in ritual contexts by indigenous peoples and in Ayahaouca-sacramental churches in Brazil.

Dr. McKenna has a long-standing interest in natural products and in the discovery of new plant derived medicines, including psychedelic agents that have potential for health and healing. He is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Natural Products Research. In addition, he is a board member and Research Advisor to Botanical Dimensions Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the investigation of ethno medically significant plants.

Dr. McKenna moved to Minnesota in 1993 to join the Aveda Corporation, a manufacturer of natural cosmetic products, as Senior Research Pharmacognosist. He is currently on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing. He teaches a twelve-day, intensive course held in Hawaii called "Plants in Human Affairs." He is also author of Botanical Medicines: The Desk Reference for Herbal Supplement (Haworth Press), which is considered the authoritative reference book in the area of herbal medicines.

June 9
Dr. Rolf Engel, physician, club member and gifted photographer, will make a presentation of some of his mushroom photographs set to music. He is looking for a title to this work and has advised that he will welcome suggestions. You do not want to miss this one. We will also examine and identify the spring mushrooms gathered during the Annual MMS Morel Hunt and Get Together at Elba, see below, as well as any other mushrooms brought to the meeting by members.

MMS Foray Schedule for May, June and July 2003

May 10
The Annual MMS Morel Hunt Get Together. MMS kicks off the 2003 foray season with a two day visit to the Whitewater Wildlife Area in southeast Minnesota. We will meet at 11:00 AM Saturday at the church located on the West side of Main Street in downtown Elba, MN. To reach Elba, take Highway 52 south from the metro area to Oronoco. There make a left turn and go straight east on Highway 12 and then Highway 247 to Plainview. From Plainview continue east on Highway 8 and then Highway 30 to Highway 74. There take Highway 74 south to Elba. We will have our usual foray on Saturday and for those who wish to stay over we will meet for dinner at the Elba Inn, time to be determined. We will meet at 8:00 AM Sunday at the Elba Inn for breakfast and start our foray at about 9:30 AM. There are no motels in Elba; however, there is one in nearby St. Charles called White Valley Motel. Rates are very reasonable. Their telephone number is (507) 932-3142. There is also a bed and breakfast in St. Charles called Victorian Lace. Last year the room rates were $85.00 for a double and $55.00 for a single and included a full breakfast. Their number is (507) 932-4496. On your way through Plainview you might check to see if there are any motels available. Rochester and Winona are also fairly close to Elba so you may want to stay overnight in one of those cities. For the more hardy souls, there is camping available at Whitewater State Park which is just south of Elba.

May 18
The Great Minnesota Morel Festival. This event is being sponsored by the City of Red Wing. It will begin at 8:00 AM on Sunday with a pancake breakfast at the city's Levee Park in the heart of downtown near the historic St. James Hotel. Club member Kelly Larson will be overseeing the event and based upon her description of the planned activities it should be a lot of fun. Although this is not an MMS event, we do plan on having a booth there to promote our club.

May 24
Lake Maria State Park. Meet at 10:00 AM Saturday at the picnic area parking lot near the lake. To reach the park, take Interstate 94 north from the metro area to Monticello and follow signs to the park, which is about 8 miles from the Monticello exit.

June 7
Afton State Park. Meet at 10:00 AM Saturday at the last picnic parking area. To reach the park, take Interstate 94 east from St. Paul to Highway 95 and then south on 95 to Highway 20 and then east on 20 to the park entrance.

June 21
Louisville Swamp. Meet at 10:00 AM Saturday at the parking area just past the railroad tracks. Louisville Swamp is a part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. To reach the foray site from the metro area, drive south on Highway 169 to about halfway between Shakopee and Jordan and on the right side of the highway look for a brown sign saying "Louisville Swamp." Take the road west to the parking area.

July 12
Ft. Snelling State Park. Meet at 10:00 AM in the parking area near the Nature Center. Fort Snelling State Park is located just off Highway 5 near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Take the Post Road exit off Highway 5 and go east to the park entrance.

July 26
William O'Brien State Park. Meet at 10:00 AM in the picnic parking area near the St. Croix River. To reach the park from the metro area take Highway 95 north from Stillwater past Marine on St. Croix a short distance and follow the sign indicating the entrance to the park which is on the West side of the Highway.

Tentative schedule for August, 2003

August 9 • MMS Foray - Location to be announced

August 11 • MMS Meeting
Room 480, Hodson Hall, U of M Saint Paul Campus

August 23 • MMS Foray - Location to be announced

August 29 • September 1 • NAMA National Foray - Montreal,
Canada - http://www.namyco.org

Let the Hunt Begin!

This year's more normal spring temperatures and the recent rain showers should result in a bumper crop of morels. Our two forays for the month of May take us to locations where club members have over the years have always found morels, so if you can try and attend at least one of these forays. The morel season is short, usually only three weeks, and for this reason I urge you, even if you cannot make one of the MMS scheduled forays, to be sure and get out on your own during the month of May and do some searching. Morels have been found in all the nearby state parks as well as many other local areas.

I wish you good hunting and look forward to seeing each of you at one of the MMS forays this year.

Bob Fulgency