Learn about Michigan mosses and go on a mushroom hunt at the Eddy Discovery Center

Chicken of the Woods. Photo credit: Andreas Eichler/ CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Editor’s note: The Eddy Discovery Center has announced its public programs for September 2026, sponsored by the Waterloo Natural History Association. The Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center is located at 17030 Bush Rd, Chelsea, Mich., just 10 minutes north of Sharon Township, in the Waterloo Recreation Area.

submitted by Patrick Muldoon, Waterloo Natural History Association Program Coordinator

FALL MUSHROOM HUNT:  2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Sunday, September 20.Come search the woods to find and collect fall mushrooms!  Afterwards, mushroom experts Phil Tedeschi and Kirk Coppernoll will look at your collection and identify those that are edible and those that are poisonous.  Bring a basket or paper bag and waxed paper for collecting. Cost: $2/person or $5/family. Members are free. Program limited to 35 participants. Please register for this program by emailing waterloonha@gmail.com with your name, phone number and number of people attending.

MICHIGAN MOSSES:  2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Sunday, September 27.  There are hundreds of moss species in Michigan! In this outing, attendees will learn the basics of moss (and liverwort) field identification using a hand lens and the general patterns of moss ecology – such as which species grow in upland or wetland habitats, and which species are likely to be found on wood, soil, or rocks. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn with Jeremy Hartsock, a faculty member in the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. This walk will take place on the Bog Trail located near the Eddy Discovery Center. This hike is about a mile each way (2 miles total). Cost: $2/person or $5/family. Members are free. Program limited to 15 participants. Please register for this program by emailing waterloonha@gmail.com with your name, phone number and number of people attending.

Schistidium apocarpum. Photo courtesy of Patrick Muldoon.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.