Join local author and mushroom enthusiast Michael W. Hopping for a discussion of his new book, A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas, and a brief multimedia demonstration of the book's approach to identification in the field.

Mushrooms in the wild present an enticing challenge: some are delicious, others are deadly, and still others take on almost unbelievable forms. A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas introduces 650 mushrooms found in the Carolinas—more than 50 of them appearing in a field guide for the first time—using clear language and color photographs to reveal their unique features.

Alan E. Bessette, professional mycologist and emeritus professor of biology, has published numerous papers and more than twenty books. Arleen R. Bessette, mycologist and botanical photographer, has published several papers and sixteen books. Michael W. Hopping, retired physician and author, is a principal mushroom identifier for the Asheville Mushroom Club.