Kathy Vatcher, an accomplished visual artist and educator, lives in Toronto but escapes the city as often as possible to hunt for wild mushrooms. She’s been studying them since joining the Mycological Society of Toronto a decade ago, though her interest began 35 years earlier. A frequent foray leader, she’s helped identify hundreds of species collected on dozens of forays and Bioblitzes. Yet she’s always eager to learn more from both mushroom experts and gifted amateurs. She’s taught mushroom identification at the Mycological Society of Toronto, The Kortright Centre for Conservation, Rouge National Park and for private events.
Mushrooms also pop up in her art. During the pandemic, she began creating unique decorative plates, many featuring fungi, that may be viewed at Tectonic Plates on Facebook. Often inspired by nature she paints mushrooms and landscapes as well as portraits of pets and people. And recently she wrote Beatrix Potter Tells Her Tale, a play inspired by Potter’s barriers and contributions to mycology that she hopes to present in the future. “The study of mycology has something for everyone. Anyone interested in the future of our planet should have an interest in mushrooms.” Kathy Vatcher
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