What do woodrats eat? Spoiler alert: They like truffles!

The big-eared woodrat is a rodent native to the Sierra Nevada foothills. They make large, conspicuous nests composed of sticks and branches beneath interior live oak trees. In this talk, Christopher will share the results of his research investigating what fungi (including truffles!) woodrats forage for in the foothills and how they play an ecologically critical role in the dispersal of fungal spores.

Christopher is a mycologist based in Merced CA. He completed work for his master’s degree at Fresno State. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at UC Merced where he works on a number of fungal ecology projects in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and gives guided mycology hikes with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy. In addition, he's a very informative and engaging speaker. You won't want to miss this one! Free and open to the general public.