Visionary mycologist Paul Stamets is giving one of his totally awesome mushroom workshops tomorrow (Friday, 2/6/09) at the Community Church of NY; 40 East 35th Street, Between Park and Madison Avenues. It’s $20 and — if you’ve got it — well worth it.

Full details at New York Open Center. More about Stamets after the jump.

from the Open Center website:

“A visionary emissary from the fungus kingdom to our world, and the message he’s brought back … will fill you with wonder and hope.”—Michael Pollan

Mushrooms and other fungi are the unsung heroes of the planet: their ubiquitous invisible networks underfoot clean up our messes, create soils and support the whole web of life. This evening one of the world’s foremost experts on mushrooms, the brilliant visionary Paul Stamets, will explain how the fungal realm can become our greatest ally in repairing the damage we have done to our biosphere and in helping heal our bodies from many illnesses.

Drawing from his lifetime of research, Stamets will explain how various mushroom species can replace chemical insecticides, break down some of the worst toxic wastes, and inhibit the spread of some of the most virulent diseases. He will also share his fascinating ideas about the inherent intelligence in the vast underground mycellial networks that produce mushrooms, that he sees as akin to “nature’s Internet.” Don’t miss this rare East Coast appearance by this legendary figure.