Botany 135: Magical Mushrooms &Mystical
Molds
The year was 1969. I was a sophomore
and I had just completed my first course in mycology. I recall that time
as a special time and can still say, even after all these years, that this
was a course that I got more out of than any other course that I had previously
taken or have since taken. It was the start of what would be my choice
of a career to study the mysteries of the fungus world. Although I have
studied fungi because they are of interest to me, over the years, I have
accumulated a great deal of practical knowledge concerning fungi and thought
that this knowledge could be presented in a fashion that would be of interest
to the non-science community since fungi have a daily impact on our lives. This
course represents many years of fun I had in just reading about various
aspects of fungi. The goal of this course is to study the impact that fungi
have on the world around us. Fungi have both a negative and positive impact
in nature and on humankind. Some of the topics that will be covered include
the roles that fungi have played in well known historical events, their
activities as decomposers, pathogens and symbionts, and their uses in cultures
throughout the world in religious ceremonies, food and beverage productions
and as recreational drugs. The
specific topics are listed in the Botany
135 Syllabus.