Meander for Mushrooms

Orange-topped mushroom with light orange "cloud-like" bulges on the dome-shaped cap.

…with Meg Madden, Myco-influencer

Ever wondered about the mysterious mushrooms that share the forest with us? Are you fungi-curious? Do you see interesting mushrooms in your travels and wish you knew more about these fascinating organisms?

On this walk we will explore the woods and learn about the mushrooms we find along the way including what they are, how to identify them, and the essential roles that these fungi play in forest ecology. We will also discuss the importance of community science and learn tips and tricks for taking mushroom photos.

Limit: 15 • please register in advance



Cost: $20 – $40 (Discount for Museum members)

Wear comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring your questions and curiosity! A smartphone equipped with the iNaturalist app is a plus, but not required.

Meg Madden leads an exploration on the Museum’s trails: to seek, to find, and to understand the fungi that live in and on our corner of the wood-wide web.

Note: this is NOT a foraging program.
Pair of inky cap mushrooms: a whitish mushroom with a shaggy high-domed cap. Photo by Erin Talmage and used with permission. Photographed in fall in Vermont.

About Meg Madden

Fungi educator, author, and professional photographer, Meg Madden can often be found in the forests of her childhood practicing what she calls “mushroom yoga” — laying on the ground, standing on her head, or balancing precariously on a log — to capture the perfect snail’s-eye view of her favorite photo subject: Fungi! Her colorful, highly detailed mushroom portraits offer an intimate look into the often-overlooked world of these extraordinary organisms.

Inspired by the belief that people are more likely to take care of something they love, she finds great joy in facilitating fun and meaningful connections between humans and nature. Meg shares her knowledge and contagious passion for the fantastic world of fungi through visually engaging presentations, mushroom walks, and via her Instagram gallery @megmaddendesign. An advocate for fungal diversity and community science, Meg teaches iNaturalist classes, organizes educational workshops and Bioblitzes, and is compiling an Atlas Of Fungi for the state of Vermont.

www.instagram.com/megmaddendesign/
linktr.ee/MegMadden

Meander for Mushrooms & Book Signing with Meg Madden

Orange-topped mushroom with light orange "cloud-like" bulges on the dome-shaped cap.

Explore for fungi! Talk with an naturalist! Receive a signed copy of Meg’s new book!

We’ll begin with a late afternoon walk around the Museum’s property, led by writer-naturalist and myco-influencer Meg Madden.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring your questions and curiosity! A smartphone equipped with the iNaturalist app is a plus, but not required.

At the close of the stroll, we’ll gather in the museum; each attendee will also receive a copy of Meg’s new book, This is a Book for People Who Love Mushrooms.

$45 for the walk, talk and signed copy — only $35 for Museum members!
Registration includes a copy of Meg’s book!


Max: 20 participants.

You can see some of Meg’s photos on Instagram at @MegMaddenDesign.

More Details:

Ever wondered about the mysterious mushrooms that share the forest with us? Are you fungi-curious? Do you see interesting mushrooms in your travels and wish you knew more about these fascinating organisms?

On this walk we will explore the woods and learn about the mushrooms we find along the way including what they are, how to identify them, and the essential roles that these fungi play in forest ecology. We will also discuss the importance of community science and learn tips and tricks for taking mushroom photos.

Meg Madden leads an exploration on the Museum’s trails: to seek, to find, and to understand the fungi that live in and on our corner of the wood-wide web.

Note: this is NOT a foraging program.

Pair of inky cap mushrooms: a whitish mushroom with a shaggy high-domed cap. Photo by Erin Talmage and used with permission. Photographed in fall in Vermont.

About Meg Madden

Fungi educator, author, and professional photographer, Meg Madden can often be found in the forests of her childhood practicing what she calls “mushroom yoga” — laying on the ground, standing on her head, or balancing precariously on a log — to capture the perfect snail’s-eye view of her favorite photo subject: Fungi! Her colorful, highly detailed mushroom portraits offer an intimate look into the often-overlooked world of these extraordinary organisms.

Inspired by the belief that people are more likely to take care of something they love, she finds great joy in facilitating fun and meaningful connections between humans and nature. Meg shares her knowledge and contagious passion for the fantastic world of fungi through visually engaging presentations, mushroom walks, and via her Instagram gallery @megmaddendesign. An advocate for fungal diversity and community science, Meg teaches iNaturalist classes, organizes educational workshops and Bioblitzes, and is compiling an Atlas Of Fungi for the state of Vermont.

www.instagram.com/megmaddendesign/
linktr.ee/MegMadden

Meander for Mushrooms with Meg Madden, Myco-influencer

Orange-topped mushroom with light orange "cloud-like" bulges on the dome-shaped cap.

Ever wondered about the mysterious mushrooms that share the forest with us? Are you fungi-curious? Do you see interesting mushrooms in your travels and wish you knew more about these fascinating organisms?

On this walk we will explore the woods and learn about the mushrooms we find along the way including what they are, how to identify them, and the essential roles that these fungi play in forest ecology. We will also discuss the importance of community science and learn tips and tricks for taking mushroom photos.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring your questions and curiosity! A smartphone equipped with the iNaturalist app is a plus, but not required.

Meg Madden leads an exploration on the Museum’s trails: to seek, to find, and to understand the fungi that live in and on our corner of the wood-wide web.

Note: this is NOT a foraging program.

Limit: 15 • please register in advance


Cost: $15

Pair of inky cap mushrooms: a whitish mushroom with a shaggy high-domed cap. Photo by Erin Talmage and used with permission. Photographed in fall in Vermont.

About Meg Madden

Fungi educator, author, and professional photographer, Meg Madden can often be found in the forests of her childhood practicing what she calls “mushroom yoga” — laying on the ground, standing on her head, or balancing precariously on a log — to capture the perfect snail’s-eye view of her favorite photo subject: Fungi! Her colorful, highly detailed mushroom portraits offer an intimate look into the often-overlooked world of these extraordinary organisms.

Inspired by the belief that people are more likely to take care of something they love, she finds great joy in facilitating fun and meaningful connections between humans and nature. Meg shares her knowledge and contagious passion for the fantastic world of fungi through visually engaging presentations, mushroom walks, and via her Instagram gallery @megmaddendesign. An advocate for fungal diversity and community science, Meg teaches iNaturalist classes, organizes educational workshops and Bioblitzes, and is compiling an Atlas Of Fungi for the state of Vermont.

www.instagram.com/megmaddendesign/
linktr.ee/MegMadden

Stories in the Forest: Summer Woods Walk

child (seen from back) doing leaf rubbing of fern

A story is a tale; a story is a floor in a structure. So, what stories exist to be found and told by a Vermont forest?

We know forests and woodlands presently cover about 75% of Vermont’s land area. From the time of glacial retreat to now, forests have regularly risen and fallen, influenced by the effects of climate conditions, natural disasters, and human activity.

How does a forest develop? What are its vertical and horizontal profiles? Which stories, or layers, define a maturing forest? Forest dwelling birds use different sections of the forest column to satisfy an array of needs. Which birds can be found in Vermont’s forests …and where? Look to the trees to find Stories in the Forest.

This family friendly walk introduces forests’ stories as stages and layers of distinctive plant growth and habitat. Explore the lives of trees, shrubs, birds, and other wildlife within a forest’s layers.



Please dress for weather.  Face masks recommended when we are within 6 feet of each other.

Max: 10 people • waitlist available if the walk fills

Free, suggested donation $10

If you are a family group with more than 5 members, please contact us.

If the walk fills, but there’s enough interest, we may be able to schedule more walks. Call or email museum@birdsofvermont.org, or call (802) 434-2167.

#NatureWalk #VermontForests #StoriesEverywhere #SummerInVermont #SummerStories

Partial birch log with sapsucker holes, on a forest floor