Scarborough Mycological Foray

Led by Diane Borsato and Amish Morrell of Outdoor School, Brother Nature (Isaac Crosby), Ella LaForme, and Stefan Herda, this informal foray in the Highland Creek Valley will provide opportunity for participants to gather and study wild mushrooms and other local plants, learning more about their linguistic, historical, cultural, edible, ecological and medicinal properties, while enjoying and celebrating nature.

As part of the foray, we'll be celebrating the launch of Diane Borsato's new publication Mushrooming: The Joy of the Quiet Hunt – An Illustrated Guide to the Fascinating, the Delicious, the Deadly and the Strange, featuring illustrations by Kelsey Oseid. Copies will be available for purchase at the program!

Registration for this program is required. ASL interpretation available, please request upon registration. Free wheelchair accessible shuttle bus departs OCADU at 12 pm and returns at 4:30 pm, reserve your seat upon registration.

Please dress for the weather, wearing good walking shoes, and pants that can be tucked into socks (for avoiding scratches/insect bites if going off path). Sunscreen and bug repellent recommended. It's also recommended to bring a basket in which to collect the mushrooms, and a folding pocket knife to cut them. Additional recommendations can be found on the website of the Mycological Society of Toronto.

This program will be held outdoors, and it will go forward rain or shine. Participants can choose how much of the valley they would like to explore during the program. The U of T Scarborough Valley Trail is wheelchair accessible; the trail that continues beyond is an uneven, dirt path. This program will include opportunities to sit down/rest.

About the facilitators

Outdoor School is an ongoing series of activities that link contemporary art with outdoor education by Diane Borsato and Amish Morrell, in collaboration with various other practitioners. Projects include university courses, gallery exhibitions, mushroom forays, outdoor performances, forest teas, plant walks, outdoor lectures, and more.

Isaac Crosby comes from Harrow, ON, a small farming community 30 minutes south of Windsor. He is proud of his Ojibwa/Black Canadian heritage and looks forward to sharing their histories. He incorporates his education and traditional First Nations farming to grow great crops, to teach others, and to do his part in saving the Earth.

Ella LaForme is a youth educator and mushroom enthusiast. She is a youth mentor for the Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag program at the University of Toronto and a recent graduate of Kâpapâmahchakwêw - Wandering Spirit School.

Stefan Herda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Guelph and his Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Toronto. His art practice explores intersections between ecology, science fiction and the material sciences. Traditional botanical teachings, land-based learning and cultivating landscape literacy continue to inform his research and professional interests.