Ep. 161: Minnesota's Mushroom Valley - Mushroom Caves & the Unexplored Underworld (feat. Dr. Greg Brick)

Today on Mushroom Hour we are going spelunking with the gracious Dr. Greg Brick. Dr. Brick has worked as a hydrogeologist with environmental consulting firms, at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and has taught geology at local colleges and universities. He has edited the Journal of Spelean History for the past 20 years. He has published more than 200 articles about caves and was the recipient of the 2005 Cave History Award from the National Speleological Society. His has written for books including his most recent, "Minnesota Underground", co-authored with Doris Green and released in 2019. He served as co-editor of "Caves and Karst of the Upper Midwest", a textbook covering Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. His work has been featured in National Geographic Adventure magazine as well as on the History Channel. He has led guided tours of caves for the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. Today he is taking us on a subterranean journey into the centuries-old caves of Mushroom Valley near St. Paul Minnesota!   

TOPICS COVERED:   

• Caves, Karsts and Crevices   
• Natural Caves, Artificial Caves, Anthropogenic Caves   
• Exploring Caves & Claustrophobic Limitations   
• US Geography of Caves & Karsts   
• Human Cultures & Caves – Lore and Culture Around Caves    
• Hollow Earth Theory   
• The Underexplored Underground    
• Minnesota’s Mushroom Valley    
• Mole People of the NY Subway   
• Mushroom Farming from the Paris Catacombs to Minnesota     
• Economic Ecosystem that Supported Mushroom Farming in Caves   
• Subterranean Nightclubs - Mystic Caverns & Castle Royal    
• Conservation & Biodiversity in Cave Systems     
• LIDAR & Future of Exploring the Underworld    

EPISODE RESOURCES:    

• Website: https://drgregbrick.com/   
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GregBrick   
• Carver's Cave: https://drgregbrick.com/carvers-cave-wakan-tipi/   
• David J. Weary & Daniel H. Doctor's Cave Map of the US:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1156/pdf/of2014-1156.pdf   
• Mystic Caverns & Castle Royal: https://twincitiesmusichighlights.net/venues/castle-royal/