A new travelling exhibition, BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms, is now on display at the Heritage Gallery in Burns Lake.
This exhibition, created by the Royal BC Museum, explores the science and practical uses of mushrooms today, highlighting some of the most fascinating of the province’s 3,400 known species.
BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms encourages visitors to learn more about BC mushrooms and their versatility. It introduces a cross-section of different species—some familiar, some bizarre, some delicious, and some deadly. The lives of these fungi are interwoven with every part of British Columbia’s ecosystems.
Mushrooms are not only a subject of scientific study but also a source of food, dyes, and medicine. For some, they are objects of ceremony and beauty. This exhibition delves into the many facets of these fabulous fungi.
“We are pleased to host this amazing traveling exhibit in our new gallery,” Sandra Holmes, vice-president of the Lakes District Museum Society, said last week. “It’s part of our commitment to arts and culture programming in this area. Traveling to the Royal BC Museum is difficult for residents of the Lakes District, so we’re bringing a little bit of BC’s preeminent museum to them with financial assistance from Canadian Heritage’s Museums Assistance Program.”
Foraging for morels and other edible fungi has been a spring tradition in the Lakes District for millennia. In recent years, though, wildfires have turned the popular pastime into an industry. Some burn sites draw dozens of commercial pickers, many of whom have only a basic knowledge of the product they are harvesting.
Featuring interpretive graphic panels, hand-sculpted mushroom models, and foraging equipment, BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms facilitates visitors’ understanding of BC mushrooms and their many uses.
Holmes encourages residents to take in this free exhibit before it leaves in mid-March.
BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms was created in 2021 to accompany the Royal BC Museum’s popular new handbook, Mushrooms of British Columbia by Andy MacKinnon and Kem Luther—a comprehensive and practical guide suitable for both professional and amateur mushroom enthusiasts.
“British Columbians love mushrooms!” says MacKinnon. “This family-friendly exhibit explores the many ways that people in our province interact with BC's fabulous fungi.”
Located at 540 Highway 16 West in Burns Lake, the Lakes District Museum’s Heritage Gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
