Talk on Coastal Mushrooms

McKenzie river mushroom and trees. | By David Putzier

Visit the Curry Public Library (94341 3rd St, Gold Beach) on Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. for a presentation by local mushroom superfan Kathleen Dickson as she shares her years of experience in identifying and harvesting wild mushrooms. This event is free, and sponsored by the Curry Public Library.

Kathleen Dickson has been a lover of wild mushrooms ever since moving to the Oregon coast from Colorado in 2002. Dickson got her introduction to the world of edible wild mushrooms through the friendships she forged with local mushroom harvesters, first learning how to identify and pick coastal mushrooms like the Chanterelle, Black Trumpet and Hedgehog, then immersing herself in the commercial mushroom industry as an employee of a local mushroom buyer. As the daughter of a Forest Service ranger, she always loved being in the woods, so harvesting edible wild mushrooms became a natural extension of her childhood.

Dickson is an amateur "expert" concerning many of the mushrooms one can expect to find along the southern Oregon coast, and is the founder of the Wild Rivers Mushroom Club. She and husband Rich own OtterBee's Market, an e-commerce website whose focus is local food in and around Curry County.