We have three speakers this time!
Pacific Forestry Centre
506 Burnside Road West
Victoria BC V8Z 4N9
Doors open at 6:30pm to socialize and identify mushrooms.
Presentation One: Grey Wolfgang Mueller
Title:
Dyeing the natural way with mushrooms.
This presentation will focus on the process of dyeing with mushrooms and will include examples of my work.
Grey Wolfgang Mueller was born in Nelson, B.C. He spent his early years living a very rural life on a land co-op in the forest, where he enjoyed gardening, beekeeping, foraging, and raising chickens. When he was five years old, he moved to Victoria. Since then, he has continued his love of nature through rock hounding, gardening, beach clean-ups, camping, nature crafts, and, most recently, getting involved in SVIMS (South Vancouver Island Mycological Society).
His earliest memory of being interested in mushrooms was in grade two, when he created spore prints as art and shared his discoveries with his classmates.
Grey is now in grade nine at the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry, a high school based on a student-led inquiry process.
This past summer at the Saanich Fair, he discovered that mushrooms can be used for dyeing while visiting the Victoria Weavers’ Guild tent. Since then, he has been experimenting with creating dyes from mushrooms.
He would like to share what he has learned about preparing dyes using three different local mushrooms. He will also talk about how different fabrics and mordants can affect color. Grey will bring samples of his work, including clothes he has made, and will share resources for others who want to explore the world of mushroom dyeing.
Presentation Two: Dana Nygard
Title:
Knowledge through Nature Journaling and the Mycology of Southern Vancouver
In this presentation, Dana Nygard invites you to slow down and rediscover the natural world through the lens of nature journaling and the fascinating mycology of Southern Vancouver Island. By observing not only the mushrooms themselves, but also the interconnected ecosystems they inhabit — from trees and lichen to mosses and forest microhabitats — Dana explores how art and curiosity can deepen our ecological awareness.
She will share insights from her ongoing practice of field sketching and journaling, emphasizing the value of noting key identifying features of fungi, foraging wild foods responsibly, and experimenting with spore printing, mushroom-based dyes and inks. This mindful approach to art and observation celebrates the creativity and wonder that emerge when we engage closely with nature.
Biography
Dana Nygard is a trained illustrator and passionate amateur naturalist living on Scia’new territory in the East Sooke/Metchosin area since 2020. After relocating from Ontario, Dana rediscovered her art practice during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by venturing into the coastal rainforests of Vancouver Island. With a sketchbook and watercolours in hand, she began documenting the flora, fauna, and funga of the region, developing a particular fascination with local mycology.
Since restarting her art practice, Dana has become an active member of the West Shore arts and ecological communities. Her work has supported organizations such as the Metchosin Arts and Cultural Centre, Metchosin ArtPod, the Metchosin Foundation, and the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society (SVIMS).
Originally from Ontario, Dana grew up on a 50-acre woodland farm, where her love for nature and art first took root. She studied fine art and illustration at BealArt and later at Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Illustration Design program. Upon moving to the West Coast, Dana found renewed inspiration in the landscapes of Vancouver Island, where she continues to blend her artistic and ecological passions.
You can find Dana’s work in local cafés, science centres, and summer art markets throughout the Greater Victoria and Sooke areas.
Follow her online:
Instagram: @dana.nygarts
Portfolio: dananygard.carbonmade.com
Presentation Three: Teresa Klemm
Title: Mushroaming in Bhutan
Join me on a journey — to the Kingdom of Bhutan — to explore the wonderful world of mushroaming: the blend of mushroom foraging, ecology, and cultural discovery.
Teresa began photographing mushrooms over 30 years ago. Her very first subject was a ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora)—a striking find, though she later discovered it wasn’t a mushroom at all, but a plant. That moment taught her to be humble and sparked a lifelong curiosity about the fungal world.
Since then, her interests have grown to include culinary mushrooms and species identification. Over the years, she has spent time learning from fellow enthusiasts at SVIMS, gaining new knowledge with every season. A dedicated member since 2003, Teresa continues to explore the fascinating, ever-surprising world of fungi with camera in hand and curiosity intact.
Leah Bendlin is a Portland based mushroom and community science enthusiast. She caught the mycology bug after her first outing hunting chanterelles with a friend. She was amazed at the diversity of other mushrooms that day, and set out to learn the science of identification. That curiosity proved insatiable, and now, 12 years later, she has become an expert taxonomist and aspires to learn the name of every mushroom she encounters, and delights in teaching others. Leah has special interests in taxonomy, uncommonly known edibles, mycoheterotrophic plants, slime molds, ascomycetes (cup fungi) and social justice. She regularly leads mushroom ID classes and walks through various Pacific Northwest organizations and has volunteered as a teacher, identifier and board member of the Oregon Mycological Society. You can find her Instagram page, focused primarily on teaching mushroom species of the Pacific Northwest at
