Kansas City, Mo. – Spring warmth stimulates natural life, including fungi such as morels and other edible mushrooms. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free virtual Mushroom Hunting 101 class from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.

This online course will cover how mushrooms are produced and their role in ecology. Nikki King, MDC naturalist, will explain where and how people can look for mushrooms. King will provide tips on identifying edible mushrooms and avoiding those that are not safely edible.

Mushroom Hunting 101 is open to all ages. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/48U. For more information about mushrooms in Missouri, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/48i.