In a world shut down by Covid-19, nature was my only
solace. I took an online class on Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing and I
practiced this unique meditative technique in the quiet mixed woodland parks
and green spaces near my home in Dallas. During this time, I also returned to
bird watching and photography. Photographing birds is not an easy task, and my
attention turned to the forest floor. Mushrooms called to me. Bright gilled
mushrooms that sprung from the soil and on logs and, polypore mushrooms on
trees were everywhere. The best part of mushrooms, they don’t move like birds,
so for every blurred bird photo, I took several close up mushrooms. I’d seen Dr. Suzanne Simard’s Ted Talk about the importance of mycorrhizal fungi to old
growth forest trees. Her concept of the wood
wide web resonated with me. Sitting at the base of
a tree while forest bathing I focused on what was happening below the ground. I
thought of the mycelium or the vegetative bodies of mushrooms beneath me
communicating with the forest. Could this underground network be the key to
stopping the global climate crisis? Then the Cedar Waxwings flew in and all
thoughts of fungi left my mind. However, little did I know I had been
inoculated into the world of fungi.
Once vaccinated against Covid, I travelled to California for a couple months to see family I hadn’t seen for over eighteen months. A good friend of mine, and a fellow biology teacher joined me on a road trip along the Oregon Coast. A fun trip which would include camping, hiking and bird watching. We decided to read Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake and discuss it while on the road.
I soaked up the book about the wonder and importance
of fungi. Instead of pointing my camera up at birds, I aimed down toward the
myriad of mushrooms along the trails. A new world opened and I became
mushroomed.
Upon returning home, I watched Paul Stamet’s Fantastic Fungi which sealed my dedication to mycology. Can fungi save the world? Fungi have crucial symbiotic relationships with plants, are important in recycling nutrients, in decomposition; mycoremediation, as food for animals and humans, as alternative materials, medicine, and have a vast biodiversity. Only five percent of fungal species have been described. At this point, I decided to dedicate my life to mycology.
I took online courses and joined the Mushrooms of
North Texas Facebook group administrated by Sebastian Tabibi. Sebastian asked
for anyone interested in starting a North Texas Mycological Association club to
contact him. I said, yes and the rest is history. We created the organization
from the ground up and soon we became an official North American MycologicalAssociation affiliated club. Spreading
the spores of mycology through education and forays is an enjoyable endeavor.
Coming soon: Citizen Mycology by Eva Gordon. A
guide on how anyone can contribute to mycology.
