!!!!PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!!!!
Hello there!
Greetings from the organizers of the first ever Radical Mycology Convergence (RMC)! This email is our official invitation to join us in building a network of mycophiles (mushroom lovers) interested in working with the fungal kingdom for social and ecological change. In case you haven’t heard of the RMC, here is a brief description of what we envision for the event.
Radical Mycology Convergence – www.radicalmycology.com
September 2-5, 2011 (Labor Day weekend)
Concrete, WA (2 hours NE of Seattle) – email radmycology@gmail.com for directions
What: A free, volunteer-run gathering of mycologists, hobbyists, and Earth healers coming together to share skills and information about the benefits of the fungal kingdom in terms of remediative properties as well as human uses. This weekend-long event will culminate in a remediation project to put theory to practice and will also be a unique chance to build community with like-minded mycophiles from around North America.
Why: Because these skills need to get shared! We want to make this information accessible and tangible for as many people as possible without making it overly-heady or technical. Our hope is to see mycological work some day become as common as gardening (well, sort of)!
Why “Radical?”: We see the use of fungal species for environmental betterment as an extension of “radical” or “deep” ecology, which considers all beings as having an inherent value and interdependence. Through the use of fungi to enact change, we are attempting to challenge assumptions about the importance of the fungal kingdom in an effort to help shift our relationship to the Earth toward greater harmony. Many people think of fungi only as food or poison and are oblivious to their role as decomposers. We seek to redefine the role of fungi in our lives as we gain a deeper understanding of their role in their ecosystems.
Who: Anyone interested in these skills is invited to come. Space is limited to just a few hundred people this first year so be sure to RSVP by emailing us at radmycology@gmail.com!
AN OPEN INVITATION TO BE A WORKSHOP LEADER OR VOLUNTEER
As this is a grassroots, all-volunteer event, we are calling out across the internet for workshop leaders and general helpers for the entire event. We have a “Workshop Wish List” on our website to give an idea of what topics we are hoping to have covered by attendees. There is also a short list of various volunteer roles to be filled (e.g. set up, logistics, and clean up). If anyone is interested in participating in this vain they are greatly encouraged to contact the organizers of the RMC at radmycology@gmail.com or to fill out our volunteer sign up or workshop forms (linked below and on our website). These forms are meant to simply help us keep track of folks. Workshop leaders only need to know the topic they are presenting on and helpers don’t need to have anything more than a willingness to help. In this way, we can teach each other and build a network of like-minded mycophiles in the process! Any participation is greatly appreciated. Plus, all volunteers and presenters will get a special thank you for their help!
A REQUEST FOR DONATIONS & EQUIPMENT LOANS
We are also seeking donations or equipment loans for the workshops of the event. Donations or the lending of cultivation equipment, bulk spawn, wood chips, burlap sacks, media equipment (for documentation), or even food or cooking supplies would also be greatly appreciated. And, of course, monetary donations (for insurance, food, electricity, supplies, etc) of any amount will not be turned down! For more information on donations or loans please contact us at radmycology@gmail.com or check the website.
LINKS
RMC website:
Workshop form:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X52CSX7
Volunteer sign up:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X5LWK7X
To stay updated on the RMC, join our (low traffic) announcement listserv here:
http://lists.actforclimatejustice.org/listinfo.cgi/radmycology-announce-actforclimatejustice.org
Or follow us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/mycology.convergence
HELP US OUTREACH!
Lastly, as a grassroots effort, all the advertising and word-of-mouth help we can get will make that much difference. Please help us spread the word! You can download and print fliers (more to come soon) on our website to put around your town. Or forward this invite to anyone you think might be interested in attending or participating in the RMC. Or just tell everyone you know!
The Olympia Mycelial Network, organizers of the RMC, would like to cordially invite anyone interested in participating in this event to come and learn, help out, or teach! We hope to see you in September!
In Sporidarity,
The RMC Organizers
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