Newfoundland Mushroom Foray 2004

Tom Osborne, Minister of Environment and Conservation, announced today that the Newfoundland Mushroom Foray 2004 will take place at Gros Morne National Park, September 17 - 19.

Minister Osborne said the annual Newfoundland Mushroom Foray is an exciting and unique event that provides mushroom experts and enthusiasts from around the world, as well as local experts, with the opportunity to learn more about our province�s mushrooms.

"Newfoundland and Labrador is home to some of the most fascinating plant species in North America, but not much is known about our abundance of mushrooms," said the minister. "The mushroom foray will help discover new information about the different kinds of mushrooms that exist in our province, such as whether or not any of the species are rare or endangered, and also help us to better understand and appreciate the role of mushrooms in our ecosystems."

The two-day event is co-sponsored by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Humber Natural History Society.

"I would like to congratulate the Humber Natural History Society for organizing this important event and also acknowledge the contributions of Gros Morne National Park and the Western Newfoundland Model Forest," said the minister. "I wish all participants an enjoyable weekend as they collect, identify and document different Newfoundland mushrooms and gain more knowledge about the plant."

Last year�s foray saw a total of 183 mushroom species identified, with some of species identified for the first time in Newfoundland and in Canada.

For further information on the Newfoundland Mushroom Foray 2004, contact Andrus Voitk, President of the Humber Natural History Society at (709) 639-8341 or at //www.swgc.mun.ca/hnhs

Media contact: Tina Coffey, Communications (709) 729-5783

2004 09 15                                              3:05 p.m.