Nature Newfoundland and Labrador (Nature NL) is a not-for-profit charity environment conservation organization committed to promoting the protection of wildlife and the natural habitat of Newfoundland. Formerly called the Natural Historical Society of Newfoundland, Nature NL has been involved in environmental conservation in this province for decades.
Nature NL kicked off 2019 with their first public lecture entitled ‘Mushroom 101’, given by Dr. Faye Murrin. Taking place at the Arts and Administration building on the 17th of January, 2019, the public talk was well attended by people of different ages and extraction, with a love for nature being the common denominator.
Dr. Faye Murrin is a mycologist, fungal biologist and ecosystem ecologist. She has been studying about mushrooms, which are biologically classified as fungi for over four decades. She began studying about mushrooms as an Undergraduate and proceeded to masters and PhD research still in mushrooms. She later worked at Memorial University, in the department of biology, teaching and researching about mushrooms (fungi) until her retirement in 2017. Her work with mushrooms has culminated in several scientific publications, presentations and awards.
Her research focus, which was highlighted in the talk is on a type of fungi which are linked to mature and disturbed balsam fir within the Terra Nova national park. This fungi, called ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) forms produce mushrooms (fruiting bodies). EMF and other fungi are pivotal to the maintenance and protection of the ecosystem, hence their importance. In her talk, Dr. Murrin highlights how mushrooms play role in protecting the ecosystem, by acting in different biological capacities. In the course of her research on mushrooms, she collected several thousand mushroom samples from the Terra Nova National Park and identified many species of EMF which interact with the Balsam Fir within the boreal forest. Results of her data will be key in quantifying the effects on environmental stress and disturbances on the stability of the ecosystem within the park.
In a nutshell, Dr. Murrin took attendees on a journey (through her engaging talk) that showed that mushrooms are not just plant’s undecided cousins, but important players on the ecological and sustainable food fronts.
More about Dr. Murrin’s research on mushrooms can be found at https://www.faculty.mun.ca/fmurrin/ResearchMurrin.php.
Nature NL holds similar ‘environment, ecology and conservation focused’ talks every third Thursday of the month. These talks are free and open to the public. More information about Nature NL can be accessed via the links below:
http://naturenl.ca/
https://mobile.twitter.com/nature_nl?lang=en
https://m.facebook.com/naturenl/