2014 Autumn Workshops by Alison Pouliot

Alison in the field.

Alison Pouliot lives in Central Victoria and Switzerland. She has been running fungi and environmental photography workshops in Central Victoria and surrounds for a number of years. She also runs workshops in Europe. Examples of her stunning photographs and past projects can be found on her website.

This year’s program has two new seminar/workshop topics: Saviours of the Soil – Understanding the Role of Fungi in Terrestrial Ecosystems and The Secret Lives of Eucalypts – The Importance of Beneficial Fungi. She describes of the second workshop as follows:

Eucalypts are a defining part of Australian landscapes. The quintessential gum tree is deeply embedded in Australian culture, identity and life. Although highly resilient and adapted to the extremes of Australia’s climate, large numbers of eucalypts in rural areas are in decline.

While some fungi can be problematic for eucalypts under certain conditions, many fungi support eucalypts through beneficial symbioses and protection from soil pathogens. Other fungi provide vital nutrients for eucalypts via the decomposition of organic matter. This workshop will examine the role of fungi in soils and their interdependencies with eucalypts. It will address the importance of encouraging relationships between beneficial fungi and eucalypts in local forests, farms and remnant vegetation. Participants are encouraged to bring along fungus specimens to the workshop. (A. Pouliot website)

This workshop which should be of interest to FOBIF members is free. It will take place on the evening of 8 April at Lockwood South. All the fungi workshop topics, dates and times as well as booking details and costs can be found here. Environmental photography workshop details can be found here.