What we’re about
The Purpose of This Group:.
Please note: A membership requirement is to have a clear profile photograph and a brief conversation with the Organizer, Lynda Cesiro (203) 273-6675. Please answer the questions and text your name and best date/time you're available to talk.
***BYOJ***
BRING YOUR OWN JOY
Hello friends,
It’s time to refresh the purpose of this MeetUp group.
At its heart, this group is here to share information and opportunities. You’ll see that some events are listed as FYI | UNHOSTED.
UNHOSTED — meaning I may not always be present. Please feel free to attend anyway! You might meet a neighbor or someone with similar interests.
This is mostly a local group, so chances are we may already know one another, or share mutual friends. When you RSVP for an event, take a moment to connect with another attendee through the MeetUp app — it’s a great way to have a friendly face to meet up with once you’re there.
Our yearly event is River of Roses, a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Survivors, SurviveOARS that compete at HOTC and other rowing competitions.
Always sometime in October.
I ask that you give a donation. Please attend too! Sunday, October 12th, 2025
🌹 River of Roses is back this October! 🌹
Honor a loved one, celebrate survivors, and support breast cancer warriors by sponsoring a bag of roses to be released into the Saugatuck River. 💗
Every rose tells a story. Every donation makes a difference.
👉 Donate today and be part of the River of Roses.
Above all, come prepared to put your best foot forward — and remember to
BYOJ: Bring Your Own Joy.
I look forward to seeing you at future events.
Warmly,
Lynda Cesiro
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### A Few Housekeeping Notes
I spend many hours researching and curating events, drawing on 20+ years of community involvement. Please keep these requests in mind so this group stays enjoyable for everyone:
- Reviews & Ratings:
If you leave a review, please take a moment to give it your full attention. If you’re short on time, wait until you can. A quick or distracted review can come across unfairly. If you don’t feel a 5-star rating is deserved, I’d much rather you reach out to me directly to share your feedback. - Events & Money Matters:
In the past, group outings involving shared bills became challenging. To keep things simple (and stress-free), I now post only 3rd-party events. That means you’ll pay directly at the venue and handle your own check — including tax and tip. Please plan ahead: check the location, allow for traffic, know where to park, and bring what you need. - Connecting in Person:
With over 300 members, names and photos can be tricky to match. If we haven’t met before, or only briefly, I may not recognize you right away. That’s why I ask new members to connect with me before being approved — it helps put a face to the name and keeps our group more personal. - Attendance & Communication:
MeetUp is known for “no-shows.” Unless you’ve contacted me ahead of time, I won’t be specifically looking for you at an event. During events, I try to stay present with members and friends, so I’m not available to text back and forth at the last minute. Please plan accordingly so we all have a smoother experience.
Thank you for your understanding and for respecting the time and energy I put into this group. Let’s keep it a welcoming and enjoyable space for everyone!
Warmly,
Lynda
Upcoming events
11
Winter Events For Mushroom Learners - Spotlight on Chaga
Location not specified yetMedicinal & Culinary Mushrooms: An Online Presentation
January 15, 2026, 7-9pm on Zoom
(Yes, Online presentation-must sign-up and pay for program)
Click Here to Sign-up & Pay
Hope you can make it. Promises be a fun presentation.
Join Yael Bernhard, production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi as well as an integrative health coach, in this informative online presentation. We’ll begin with a brief overview of the life cycle of mushrooms, their role in the ecosystem, and how this relates to their role in human health. Other subjects include:
• Different types of mushrooms and their basic identifying characteristics
• How medicinal and culinary mushrooms work in the body
• Different types of herbal and fungal extracts and how they’re made
• How to choose and get the most out of medicinal mushroom extracts
• The medicinal attributes of the six mushrooms that are the basis of Catskill Fungi extracts
More Info Below - FYI
I've experienced Yael's cooking presentation at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Just getting there was an experience in itself. I don't recommend you go there, especially alone. See below for more fun with Yael & John.
Coming up on the calendar:
## Coming up on the calendar:
Medicinal & Culinary Mushrooms: An Online Presentation
January 15, 2026, 7-9pm on Zoom
Join Yael Bernhard, production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi as well as an integrative health coach, in this informative online presentation. We’ll begin with a brief overview of the life cycle of mushrooms, their role in the ecosystem, and how this relates to their role in human health. Other subjects include:
• Different types of mushrooms and their basic identifying characteristics
• How medicinal and culinary mushrooms work in the body
• Different types of herbal and fungal extracts and how they’re made
• How to choose and get the most out of medicinal mushroom extracts
• The medicinal attributes of the six mushrooms that are the basis of Catskill Fungi extracts
Mushroom Harvest Dinner: Cooking and Eating Fungi
February 19, 2026, 4-6pm
San Mul - Fleishmanns, NY
As seasons change, mushrooms are a great way to help nourish our bodies. Catskill Fungi and San Mul 산물 are partnering to host a Harvest Dinner where participants will learn to cook a mushroom-based feast and then enjoy the preparations around the table together. While we cook, we will learn about the ways fungi and fermented foods are medicinal and nutritional for our bodies, as well as tips and tricks for making your mushrooms taste amazing!
The Many Uses of Mycelium: Fungal Technologies
February 24, 2026, 6-7:30pm
New York Botanical Gardens Online
Scientists have engineered so many new products from mycelium that Scientific American heralds the dawn of the “Mycelium Revolution” and Harper’s Bazaar dubs fungi “The Future of Fashion.” In this fascinating presentation, John Michelotti will explore how scientists have harnessed mycelium’s ability to create complex structures that are now being used as eco-friendly alternatives to plastic, leather, meat, and Styrofoam. Mushroom bacon or sneakers, anyone?
Mycoremediation: Can Fungi Help Heal the Planet?
March 24, 2026, 11am-1pm
New York Botanical Gardens Online
Discover how fungi are being used to degrade pollutants and clean up the environment by filtering water, removing heavy metals from soil, remediating microbes, and breaking down plastics. Mycologist John Michelotti will discuss current mycoremediation efforts worldwide—including his own work in Ecuador. Pet owners will even learn to build a remediation bucket to treat bacteria in used kitty litter and other pet waste.
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Catskill Fungi extracts are available online, or may be found in local stores. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.
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## Spotlight on Chaga: The Curious Conk
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##### by Yael Bernhard
The first time I saw Chaga, I thought I was looking at a chunk of pavement stuck to a tree. Black as charcoal and hard as rock, Inonotus obliquus seems more like a mineral than anything organic. Also known as the Clinker Polypore, this curious fungus is not a mushroom, but a sterile conk, canker, or sclerotium that grows exclusively on birch. Chaga is a parasitic fungus that does no favor to the tree, often growing in a wound in the bark and slowly contributing to the tree’s demise. But along the way, it draws betulinic acids and other substances from the heartwood, and transforms them into powerful compounds that are beneficial for humans.¹
Rich in antioxidants and prized for its immune-modulating activity, Chaga has been used as a folk medicine in Asia for centuries. In Russia, it is typically simmered for tea in a pot that sits on a wood stove through the long winters of the boreal forests. When the tea reaches the color of black coffee, it’s poured off and the water is replenished. A single piece of chaga may yield dozens of pots of tea. Once exhausted, the black mass may be dried, pounded into a poultice, and used externally to inhibit infection and promote healing.²
Chaga contains numerous polysaccharides (complex sugars), triterpenoids, triterpenes, melano-glucans, sterols, and inositol (vitamin B1), among other healing constituents. It was originally used as a remedy for tuberculosis, ulcers, and digestive ailments. Today it’s known for its healing effects on the intestines, which also extends to skin health. In vitro studies of betulinic acid have shown it to be effective against a wide variety of cancers;³ and in 1955 a drug called Befungin was approved as a cancer treatment in Russia. In the 1970s and 80s, studies were conducted on the effects of Chaga on peptic ulcers and psoriasis. In the 1990s, several studies showed Chaga’s anti-viral activity against HIV and influenza, as well as analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties; and in the early 2000s a study showed Chaga’s hypoglycemic, anti-lipidemic, and anticoagulant potential – all of which merit the ongoing scientific research that is slowly shedding light on this mysterious fungus.⁴
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Chaga is purported to be the richest source of antioxidants in the world,⁵ exceeding other food sources by a factor of 50. Antioxidants are crucial for preventing the DNA damage implicated in chronic inflammation, abnormal cell growth, and cognitive decline. One study on Chaga extract showed a 40% reduction in DNA fragmentation compared to controls,⁶ while another demonstrated a significant reduction in oxidative stress in lymphocytes from IBD patients.⁷
Chaga grows very slowly, and care should be taken to harvest it sustainably. The conks are so condensed, a little bit goes a long way. While Chaga is not uncommon here in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, it should not be taken without good reason, nor depleted at any one source.
Catskill Fungi’s triple extraction of Chaga is mindfully made in small batches, drawing out all the health-promoting components that are soluble in alcohol, by hot water decoction, and by cold water infusion.
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Like most mushrooms, Chaga is adaptogenic and confers its benefits gradually and cumulatively. Fungal mycelium grows slowly, penetrating its chosen substrate over many months and extending the web of life that interconnects life in the forest. Similarly, it takes time for our fungal allies to improve our health. Herbal and fungal medicine is a patient practice, suitable for the long winter months. Consistency is key. Sipping Chaga tea or taking the tincture daily, we are graced with its gentle blessings.
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Yael Bernhard is production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.1 attendee
Third Spaces: Building Belonging Beyond Home and Work
YWCA Greenwich, 259 E Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT, USCLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Annual Coretta Scott & Martin Luther King, Jr Conversation
Third Spaces: Building Belonging Beyond Home and Work.
#### Thursday, January 22, 2026
#### 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
#### Please NOTE LOCATION: YWCA Greenwich
#### 259 E Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830
Looking forward to seeing you there. Warmly, Lynda
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
In a comprehensive discussion with leading sociologist, Eric Klinenberg, and state and municipal officials, we will convene an extensive conversation rooted in Klinenberg's best-selling book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequity, Polarization and the Decline of Civic Life. The event will spotlight how third spaces are crucial to our communities and the ways in which we are working to expand and operate these spaces beyond work and home, connecting us all.1 attendee
Past events
202
