WATCH: How much do you really know about mushrooms in B.C.?

• Guess how many species there are
• The underground world of the mushroom
• An opportunity to learn about their different uses

Some of these you can enjoy eating, some of them can heal you…and some can even kill you. This new exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum explains why.

The Royal BC Museum has brought their latest traveling exhibition BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms to the Okanagan Heritage Museum this weekend.

It explores the world of BC mushrooms and their different properties through information panels, hand-sculpted mushrooms to give guests a glimpse of their many uses. There are over 3,000 known species in the province.

“The first thing when we think about mushrooms is: can I eat it? And that’s the entry point into the whole conversation,” said Linda Digby, Executive Director at the Kelowna Museums Society. “We quickly discover there are some that are healthy, and others that can make you sick, or a few that can even kill you. Knowing the difference is very important.”

She is excited for guests to learn just how extensive a role mushrooms play in this province.

“When we think of mushrooms, we think of the fruiting bodies, the toadstool what we see above the ground and those are spectacular,” she said. “But there’s also that underground dark world that is just as important.”

Some of the topics discussed within the exhibit, include how climate change affects mushrooms, how they’re used for healing and health, and a dive into the B.C. magic mushroom.

Digby hopes this will not only be a starting point for local conversations about mushrooms and fungi in the area, but also as an educational tool.

“I think in this exhibition the creators from the Royal BC Museum did a really good job of helping us understand those differences and even learn a little bit about some of the emerging knowledge about using them,” she said.

BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms was created in 2021 to accompany the Royal BC Museum’s handbook, Mushrooms of British Columbia by Andy MacKinnon and Kem Luther.

The exhibit runs from March 19 to May 21. Admission is by donation of $5 per person or $15 per family.