RCA Reflections are talks about ecology and the environment, free and open to all to join. This talk will be delivered in a hybrid format: in-person at Rice Creek Field Station or via Zoom (see Dial-In Instructions below).

Speaker

Quincey Widger, The Fungus Goddess

Owner of Fungus Goddess Guiding Service and Enchanted Mountain Mushrooms

Talk Description

Let Quincey guide you on a visual journey through the dynamic seasons of the choice of edible & medicinal fungi that exist all around us. We will explore the diversity of the fungi friends that grow in our neck of the woods, all thanks to Mother Nature.

Speaker Bio

Quincey was born and raised in Ellicottville, NY and moved to Montana in 2011, where she lived recreated boldly for nearly 8 years. Montana’s wild and rugged terrain is where her affinity for fungi began to flourish. Upon returning home to NY in late 2018, Quincey found a renewed sense of love and wonder for her hometown and the surrounding area she had grown to underappreciate. As she re-immersed herself in the beauty and splendor that Cattaraugus County has to offer, Quincey was inspired to share in the marvels that fungi provide.

Quincey’s passion for responsible, sustainable foraging and harvesting has fueled her all of her life! Since the Spring of 2019, she has been offering guided hikes to locals and visitors alike. The aim of these informative adventures is to invite each explorer to open their mind and eyes to the plethora of fungal species that grow in the area. Through adventuring with Quincey, you will learn how to identify, appreciate, properly use, and, if applicable, respectfully harvest and prepare gourmet culinary and adaptogenicmedicinal species. Quincey’s philosophy is rooted in deep reverence for the land. Her knowledge and offerings demonstrate that while considering key safety features and tuning into the world around us we are able to see the offerings that Mother Nature provides.

In addition to operating Fungus Goddess Guiding Service, Quincey is fulfilled by growing edible mushrooms with her greatest supporter, foraging buddy, and mother. Enchanted Mountain Mushroom Farm came to life in the Fall of 2020, inoculating three different species of logs using two different growing methods. They grow five strains of Shitake and three strains of Oyster mushrooms and saw their first flush of mushrooms late this past fall 2021 and expect to yield a larger bounty come spring to be sold at local restaurants and farmers' markets.

Be sure to checkout her Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date! 

@FUNgusGoddess 

About RCA

Rice Creek Associates (RCA) is a community of like-minded people who share a passion for nature and a desire to support Rice Creek Field Station. Formed in 1986, RCA supports Rice Creek Field Station's mission by expanding the scientific, educational, and recreational opportunities at the Field Station through community involvement. For more information, including a link to join RCA for as little as $5 or $10, please visit the RCA webpage.