The Van Buren Conservation District hosted its second Backyard Symposium in February 2022 to help folks further transform yards into a haven with the environment in mind.

Christopher Swinson a lifelong science and nature enthusiast who has owned and operated a small mushroom farm and foraging service in Grand Rapids for 7 years. His business distributes mushrooms all over West Michigan. Chris will briefly cover some of the best resources for learning how to safely identify wild edible mushrooms in Michigan and briefly discuss their importance as a food source. As well as how to grow mushrooms at home using low-tech methods.