The coordinators of the Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference will present Mycelium Mysteries: a Women’s Mushroom Retreat, on September 28, 29 and 30, in Almond, Wisconsin. It will focus on understanding fungi as the grandmothers of our ecosystem.

Dr. Cardy Raper, author of Love, Sex and Mushrooms: Adventures of a Woman in Science, will be the keynote speaker. She will talk about her work as a scientist studying the reproductive nature of mushrooms at a time when few women worked in this field, and facilitate a workshop on her research and findings.

Other workshops include wild mushroom skills, fungal ecology, fungi and human health, ethnomycology and propagation of mushrooms. Raper says, “This event is a place where women can get comfortable learning and using our mycological skills in a supportive, fungal community.” The event is for beginners, as well as those that already have a connection to mushrooms.

Natural Awakenings readers may use code 15FUNGI for a 15 percent discount and enter to win a free weekend pass at Submit.NAChicago.com/CHI/Midwest-Womens-Herbal-Conference-Ticket-Contest/. Contest ends September 5. Vendor spots are still available. For registration and information about all events, visit MidwestWomensHerbal.com/mushrooms.