2008 GSMS SUMMER FORAY

July 11-13, 2008

HILLSDALE, MS

Our summer foray will be held at King’s Arrow Ranch Inn, at Hillsdale MS.  We have held our summer foray at this location for several years and have a history of the collections made in the nearby National Forests. It is always gratifying to realize that you have a new record  from an old collection site.

The Inn is located on the east side of I-59 at exit 35, five miles north of Poplarville MS. There should be signs on the Interstate. They have a nice pool, and request that you bring your own towels if you plan to swim. Check-in time is 1:00 PM. Your room will be assigned by the hotel per our rooming list, and on-site payment is not needed.  Average cost is $179 / single, or $264 / double.To register, complete the Registration Form and mail with your check to the address shown on the form.

Our Guest Mycologist will be Dr. Mary Catherine Aime (Cathie) of  LSU Baton Rouge.  Cathie is presently at LSU-Baton Rouge, and serves as Secretary of the Mycological Society of America.  She began her studies under the late, great Dr. Orson Miller at Virginia Tech, and has worked on most continents and the Americas. Dr. Aime will speak to us about "Exploring for New species of Fungi"  based on her work in Guyana. Cathie is currently an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at LSU. She also studies the biodiversity of tropical fungi.

 We will host a Ph.D student, Allison Walker, of the University of Southern Mississippi at Ocean Springs, whose talk will be "A comparison of fungal decay communities in natural and created Gulf Coast salt marshes, with implications for coastal restoration".   Allison has been a GSMS member for two years, and we will be glad to have her participation.

We will be there to meet and greet you after 3 PM on Friday at the Convention Center located next door to the hotel.  Ask at the front desk if you need information.  We will begin our shrimp boil and social at the poolside cabana at 6:00 PM Friday.   President David Lewis will welcome and introduce everyone. During the evening, we will discuss Saturday morning field trips.

After a buffet breakfast at the Inn on Saturday (7:00 - 8:00AM) we will assemble for field trips at 8:30 in front of the Inn. Lunch supplies (on your own) will be available from a convenience store near the Inn, or we will dine at local restaurants near the foray sites. Upon returning from the forays, please bring your collections to the meeting room, where an area will be reserved for pre-sorting of fungi.

We will hold a GSMS business meeting at 4:30PM.  We must elect officers for the next year and discuss the winter foray location, which is planned for Breaux Bridge, LA.  This winter foray will be our opportunity to work out field trips for the November NAMA 2009 Foray, which GSMS will host. Please plan to be there.

Our dinner (6:30 - 7:30PM) will most likely be a menu selected by the Inn. Then our hosted graduate student will give a brief talk on his field of interest, followed by a presentation (8:00PM) by Dr. Aime, “Exploring New Species of Fungi”, in the meeting room.  A social will follow. 
Sunday morning, after breakfast (7:30 - 8:30AM), the mycologists will discuss the fungi during the walk-around-the tables beginning at 9:00 AM.  Checkout time is 12:00.

A registration form is attached, and the deadline is Monday, July 7th. Your registration form must be received by that date.   Please register as soon as possible.  If you would like a roommate, send a note with your form. For questions or more information, contact Patricia Lewis 409-423-3776  email : plewis at jas dot net.

REGISTRATION FORM