Colindres will celebrate the 34th edition of its Mushroom Days on 7 and 8 November, a well-established event in the municipality's autumn calendar that brings together enthusiasts and locals to explore the world of mushrooms. Organised by the Cantabrian Mycological Society (SOMICAN) in collaboration with the Colindres Town Hall, the event will take place at the Casa de Cultura and aims to engage children in learning about the natural environment and fostering respect for nature.
The programme will kick off on Saturday morning with a field trip to collect various mushroom specimens from the region. After classification by SOMICAN members, the collection will be displayed from 19:30 in the exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. The Saturday activities will continue at 19:00 with a basic mushroom identification workshop for children, designed to help young participants familiarise themselves with different species and learn how to recognise them.
On Sunday, 8 November, between 11:00 and 12:00, there will be a children's contest for basic classification of specimens. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the exhibition of mushrooms collected the previous day. To conclude the event, a mushroom tasting will be held from 14:00, organised and served by the Cantabrian Mycological Society, with each dish priced at one euro.
The mycological programme will continue at the end of November with an activity aimed at students of IES Valentín Turienzo, furthering education about mushrooms. This initiative builds on last year's experience when the Mycological Society visited the secondary education centre.
Marcos Agudo, the councillor for culture, highlighted the long-standing relationship between the municipality and the Mycological Society, stating, “We add another weekend to the historical bond that the Mycological Society has with Colindres. For 34 years, our municipality has been a strong collaborator with the Cantabrian Mycological Society, and we are confident that the people of Colindres will participate this weekend as they always have: en masse.”
Mayor Javier Incera emphasised the significance of maintaining an event that is part of the cultural identity of autumn in the municipality. “These days are a much-anticipated event in the autumn programme that brings many locals and visitors together to learn about and enjoy the various mushroom species available in the area and throughout the community,” he said. Incera also stressed the importance of ensuring the generational transfer of this activity through environmental education. “The long-standing celebration of these days is a testament to their robustness. By involving young people, we aim for their continuity in the future and to introduce future generations to the environment and nature in a healthy, educational, and respectful manner,” he concluded.
