7:00 OMS Society Business: Announcements, Introductions, or Short Presentations
7:15 pm Presentation: Michael Zirpoli, Morel Cultivation
During the course of Michael’s time at Evergreen State College, he became enamored with morels and has spent close to three years tirelessly studying them both in the lab and in the field. His current research is focused on morels, studying their taxonomic distribution, ecology, biology and their potential for cultivation. His work has involved DNA analysis, cultural analysis, field collection, and attempts at indoor and outdoor cultivation. Michael will be presenting on basic morel identification and lifecycles as well as the history and current state of morel cultivation, including findings from his own research.
Speaker: Michael Zirpoli is a mycologist and science educator currently working as a researcher, lab assistant and teaching assistant at The Evergreen State College. Michael’s personal research has been funded by grants from the Puget Sound Mycological Society, The Stuntz Foundation, and in 2018 he was the recipient of the Mike Beug Scholarship. He is passionate about education and preserving Evergreen’s legacy in the mycological community. Working with Paul Przybylowicz, Michael helped to reinvigorate The Evergreen Culture Collection by isolating over 100 unique fungi from natural settings, providing an invaluable resource for future mycologists’ work.