South Whidbey residents who are curious about identifying mushrooms within their own surroundings may want to attend an upcoming event at the Langley Library.

Fungi fan Heidi Hoelting plans to lead a presentation titled “The Joy of Mushrooms: An Introduction to the Fungi of South Whidbey” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 in the Village by the Sea. The event is sponsored by the Sno-Isle Libraries.

A lifelong nature lover, Hoelting did not discover the wonders of the fungal world until 2009, when a particularly wet winter awakened her to the beauty of the prolific variety of organisms. Digital photography uncovered distinctive features that fascinated her further.

Within a two-mile radius of her South Whidbey home, Hoelting has photographed and identified several hundred species. She studied books, videos and articles on fungi and even attended mushroom identification classes from the Puget Sound Mycological Society in Seattle, where she received ongoing tutoring.

Her introductory class at the library is open to people with all levels of mushroom knowledge. Factual information and photos will be shown of local mushrooms, in addition to tips on identification, collection, edibility and toxicity.

For more information, visit sno-isle.org.

Clitocybe nuda

Hydnellum peckii

Pseudoplectoania vogesiaca. (Photo by Heidi Hoelting)