Hawai‘i’s ‘Mushroom Man’ to Present Lyman Museum Lecture

Some thrill, while others kill.

There are a myriad of wild mushrooms springing out of the earth here in Hawai`i, and Don Hemmes has spent over twenty years getting to know them.

Hemmes, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, will give an illustrated talk on both the native and not-so-native fungi that  can be found in rain forests, lowlands and elsewhere in Hawaii.

The lecture will be held Monday, April 8, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Lyman Museum in Hilo.

Hemmes is a pioneer in native mushroom identification, having spent seven years searching for fungi in every crevice of the Big Island under a National Science Foundation-funded study. He is also the co-author of “A Field Guide to Mushrooms in Hawai‘i.”

The Big Island is home to more than a few delectable edibles, and Hemmes will highlight the best of them while helping the public to avoid a poisonous case of mistaken identity.

Other fascinating fungi will be featured, including bird’s-nest, stinkhorns and puff ball varieties.

The lecture is free to museum members, and costs $3 for the general public.

The Lyman Museum is located at 276 Haili St., Hilo.

For further information, call (808 935-5021.