Book launch Oct. 4, 2022, at the Lawrence Public Library

A new book about the fungi of Kansas includes two co-authors from the University of Kansas.
Benjamin Sikes, associate professor with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and associate scientist with Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, along with Caleb Morse, affiliate researcher and collection manager at the Biodiversity Institute, co-authored the update to the first edition with author Sherry Kay.  
"This was a labor of love for Sherry Kay and I was glad to have helped get it across the finish line," Sikes said.
An update to the first edition, published nearly 30 years ago, A New Guide to Kansas Mushrooms incorporates new understanding of fungal taxonomy unearthed largely by genetic tools. 
Apart from updating species names for a quarter of entries to reflect this new understanding, the new book adds 50 more entries, phylogenetic trees to show broader evolutionary relationships, and more than 1,200 species on the life list, nearly twice the number from the first edition.
Original author Richard Kay suggested his wife, Sherry Kay, could assume the undertaking of revising the book, collaborating with him working as a consultant. After Richard’s death in 2018, Sherry reached out to Sikes and Morse to complete the task.
The book launch takes place Oct. 4, 2022, at the Lawrence Public Library with the Raven on hand with available copies to purchase: https://www.ravenbookstore.com/event/lawrence-public-library-book-launch-new-guide-kansas-mushrooms