Name: Islands in the Clouds: Regeneration in the Andean Páramo
Start: 2026-08-14T14:00:00-0600
End: 2026-08-14T15:00:00-0600

SCHEDULE LAUNCH IS JUNE 21st, 2026

Welcome to the largest wild mushroom happening in North America, the 46th Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival! This program of the Telluride Institute, a 501c3 non-profit, offers a plethora of events ranging from foray and mushroom ID sessions, to hands-on demonstrations and lectures—all led by regionally, nationally, and internationally-known experts, (and we cannot forget the wide variety of social and cultural events offered, along with the famous Mushroom Parade!) there is plenty for everyone, every day.

On this website, you can filter your search by events, venues, presenters, etc. Each year the Mushroom Festival features many wonderful presentations on “all things fungi.” Presentations on similar topics are grouped together at the same venue so that attendees interested will be able to spend more time learning and interacting, and less time walking between venues. See who else is interested in each event and interact with our extended Mushroom Family.

See you soon!

Islands in the Clouds: Regeneration in the Andean Páramo

Friday August 14, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Ah Haa School - Transformation Studio @ 155 W Pacific Ave, Telluride, CO 81435

High-Andean páramos are sky islands, floating realms of unknown fungi, plants, peat, and fog that silently power South America’s water cycle. Suspended between treeline and mountaintop glaciers, these living sponges are powerhouse biodiversity engines, cradling countless undescribed fungi. With only a handful of researchers venturing into these remote heights, their fungal secrets remain largely unmapped. Though the fastest-evolving hotspots on Earth, they now face unraveling from accelerating climate shifts and land pressures. Join mycologist Mandie Quark to journey through her expeditions into remote páramos of Ecuador, Peru, and Costa Rica, finding fungi across mist-shrouded grasslands. Images from her high-altitude forays reveal stunning undescribed species, some captured and documented for the very first time.

Speakers

Mandie Quark

Speaker

Molecular biologist by training, Mandie Quark is a passionate researcher and science communicator, specializing in fungal diversity. Based in the California Bay Area, she is dedicated to advancing citizen mycology through exploration, photography, DNA barcoding, and education. Mandie... Read More →

Friday August 14, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Ah Haa School - Transformation Studio

Passholder Event (included in Festival Pass), General Mycology

46th Telluride Mushroom Festival

Mandie Quark

Attendees (56)

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46th Telluride Mushroom Festival

Mandie Quark

Attendees (56)

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