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People Passionate About Nature

Mantario Mushrooms and Plants

Posted: Thursday, April 9, 2026

Mantario Summer Program

Event Date: Monday, August 17, 2026

Event End Date: Friday, August 21, 2026

Availability: Open

Escape into Mantario’s boreal forests to enjoy photogenic delights amid diverse ecosystems where myriad fungi, plants and animals coexist and flourish. We expect to find new fungi and plant species emerging after the 2025 forest fires that ravaged the area. Donna Kurt and co-leader Ron Greening offer optional activities such as canoeing skills, fortaging, forest and aquatic ecology, and hiking.

Trip Leaders 

Donna Kurt practices “ethnomycobotany” while canoeing the wilds of North America, Australia, beyond. Since 1988 she has led Mantario and Nature Manitoba trips and shares a glimpse of the experience in her Mantario Thanksgiving Canoe YouTube videos. Donna has been studying how we use plants and fungi since the 1980s and in retirement is studying ecology and biology at the UW.

Ron Greening has had a strong interest in ecology and field biology since childhood, and studied fisheries and wildlife management, and conservation education. Ron has hiked, skied and paddled into Mantario since the 1970s, and spent two summers in the 1980’s as a guide for the Mantario summer program.

Registration opens May 1st.