Curiosity Forum: Engineered Wood, a presentation by Sue Van Hook

Description

Sunday, March 6th at 2:00pm
Hubbard Hall Freight Depot

Local Mycologist, Sue Van Hook, will tell us about Ecovative's newest platform made from mushroom mycelium - engineered wood. With the new plant in North Troy cranking out compostable protective packaging parts for Dell, Steelcase, IBM, and Merck Forest, to name a few customers, the green tech company is tackling another environmental issue - harmful urea formaldehyde resins in particle board used for furniture and building materials.  This new material grown from fungi and agricultural waste has virtually no volatile organic compounds and matches the strength of glued wood particles. Sue will have samples to demonstrate the amazing properties of the fungi.


Sue is a mycologist, naturalist, teacher, and healer. She has been studying the taxonomy and ecology of fungi for the past 40 years, having begun her coursework in the Pacific Northwest where the mushroom season lasts 9 months of the year. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in botany and mycology at Humboldt State University. Sue worked for 10 years in land conservation for The Nature Conservancy and as Director of Land Conservation and Stewardship for Maine Coast Heritage Trust. For 18 years she taught biology and environmental science labs at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and currently works as the Chief Mycologist for a new Green Tech company, Ecovative Design in Troy, NY.

Curiosity Forum events are a partnership of Battenkill Books, Hubbard Hall, and Leslie Parke Studio. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

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