March 9 is the date of the first lecture. Dr. Jason Hoeksema, professor of biology at the University of Mississippi will present a talk on “Mushrooms and Other Fungi.” This talk will be helpful to anyone interested in identifying mushrooms in the wild or growing them at home.

At UM, Dr. Hoeksema teaches courses in Mycology, Ornithology Coevolution, Biometry and Meta-Analysis. Dr. Hoeksema holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on the ecological, evolutionary, and ecosystem consequences of interactions among species, especially involving plants, mycorrhizal fungi, and migratory birds. He is an entertaining and popular speaker on various topics of interest to gardeners.