UIS Emiquon Field Station to host "Stalking the Wild Mushroom"

"Stalking the Wild Mushroom," a public lecture and nature walk, will be presented at the University of Illinois at Springfield's Emiquon Field Station beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 30, at the Field Station. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.

The program will be led by Dr. James Veselenak, UIS associate professor of Clinical Laboratory Science and Public Health.

The Emiquon Field Station is at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana and Lewistown. Entrance to the field station is on Prairie Road, located off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-and-a-half miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted.

See a map to Emiquon.

The program will start with a short discussion and slide show and then proceed to a mushroom hunt in the nearby woods. "Fall is the best time to hunt and photograph the elusive mushroom," said Veselenak. "There are more varieties in autumn than any other time of the year. Plus, the recent rain and moderate temperatures should provide ideal growing conditions for mushrooms."

Everyone entering the property will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

In case of rain, the program will be rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

For more information, contact Mike Lemke, Emiquon Field Station Director, at lemke.michael@uis.edu or 217/206-7339.