Workshops
A Hidden Kingdom: Digging Deeper into the Ecology and Impact of Fungi

Amanita Mushroom

Date

Sunday, Nov 1, 2026 13:00 - 16:00

Admission

$100.00 Regular Price
$90.00 ROM Member Price

Audience

Adults

About

Uncover a hidden kingdom in this afternoon workshop designed to introduce the diversity and ecology of mushrooms and other fungi, and the profound ways in which humans engage with them.  

Occupying almost every habitat on the planet, fungi are animatic organisms that play crucial roles in their – and our – environments . From food to medicine, they also impact human culture in significant ways. Led by mycologists Sara Scharf and Simona Margaritescu, spend your afternoon with specimens in the permanent galleries and classrooms, learningboth the biological and culture significance of fungi.  

This workshop includes an introduction to the exhibition Psychedelics: Art.Culture.Science

Instructors

Royal Ontario Museum Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Bloor Street Entrance.
Sara Scharf

Sara Scharf has a PhD in the History and Philosophy of biological taxonomy and currently the Vice President of the Mycological Society of Toronto. She enjoys sharing her love of fungi as ecological agents and photographic subjects.

Simona Margaritescu. ROM Collections Specialist.
Simona Margaritescu

Simona Margaritescu is the Mycology Collections Specialist at ROM. Trained in biology and genetics at the University of Bucharest; she has taught plant systematics, conducted fieldwork, and studied microfungi. At ROM, she cares for fungal collections, mentors students, answers public inquiries, and supports molecular research.