The Mushroom Hour Podcast

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed by the presence of inventor & bio-designer Bob Hendrikx, coming to us all the way from the Netherlands. Through his work at Studio Hendrikx, Bob strives to restore the parasitic relationship between humanity and its environment by expanding the horizon of human imagination and exploring living materials. His Living Cocoon project has captured headlines around the world with a coffin made from mycelium that helps bodies decompose faster while improving the surrounding soil. Through all of his design endeavors Bob embraces the notion that current way we build and produce materials must change fundamentally. I’m excited to hear from this visionary designer how we may be able to shift humankind's 200,000-year model of parasitism and extraction by taking a cue from Mother Nature who has been leading the way for 3.8 billion years by growing materials in ecological harmony.   Topics Covered:   Becoming a bio-based designer  Living vs Dead Materials  Free Technology Found in Nature  What is “Homo Natura”?  Listening to Nature Helps us Listen to Each Other  Inspiration for the Mycelium Coffin  Becoming Compost, Not Waste  Facing our Collective Fear of Death  Living Homes Made of Mycelium  Self-Healing T-Shirts  Bioluminescent Streetlights  Smashing the System vs. Growing a New One  Growing Our Way to a Better Society  Future Projects for Studio Hendrikx  Episode Resources:   Bob Hendrikx Website: https://www.bobhendrikx.com/  Bob Hendrikx IG: https://www.instagram.com/studiohendrikx/  Genus Ramaria (Mushrooms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramaria  

Today on Mushroom Hour we are graced by the presence of Tradd Cotter, coming to us from Mushroom Mountain. Tradd Cotter is a microbiologist, professional mycologist, and organic gardener, who has been tissue culturing, collecting native fungi in the Southeast, and cultivating both commercially and experimentally for more than twenty-five years. In 1996 he founded Mushroom Mountain, which he owns and operates with his wife, Olga, to explore applications for mushrooms in various industries and currently maintains over 200 species of fungi for food production, mycoremediation of environmental pollutants, and natural alternatives to chemical pesticides. His primary interest is in low-tech and no- tech cultivation strategies so that anyone can grow mushrooms on just about anything, anywhere in the world. Mushroom Mountain is currently expanding to 42,000 square feet of laboratory and research space near Greenville, South Carolina, to accommodate commercial production, as well as mycoremediation projects. His masterwork and must-own mycology reference - "Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation" had a huge impact on my own relationship with mycology.   Topics Covered:   The Journey to Founding “Mushroom Mountain”  Applied Mycology as a Multi-Generational Project of Discovery  Pillars of Mushroom Mountain’s Business and Research  Mushroom-Based Solutions in the Developing World  Putting Myco-remediation Theory into Action  The Key Concepts of Mycofiltration  Future of Fungi in Medicine & Truly Personalized Treatments  Reducing Pesticide Use with Fungal Solutions  Patenting Ideas to Defend from the Dark Side  Educating the Next Generation  Disrupting the System, Waking People Up!  Power of Growing Your Own Mushrooms  “Blue Portal” Psilocybin Therapy in Jamaica  Future of Mushroom Mountain  Episode Resources:   Mushroom Mountain website: https://mushroommountain.com/  Mushroom Mountain FB: https://www.facebook.com/MushroomMountainFarm  Mushroom Mountain IG: https://www.instagram.com/sporeprints/  "Organic Mushroom Farming & Mycoremediation": https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Mushroom-Farming-Mycoremediation-Experimental/dp/1603584552  Mauritius Islands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius  Cordyceps (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

Today we are blessed by the presence of Adam Haritan, founder of Learn Your Land. Adam started the famous Learn Your Land platform in 2014 out of a desire to connect naturalists with people who wanted to learn from naturalists.  Learn Your Land is an advertisement-free media channel, helping people to improve their nature skills one species at a time. He spends most of my days either looking for mushrooms/plants/trees, researching mushrooms/plants/trees, filming mushrooms/plants/trees, or editing videos and content around mushrooms/plants/trees. Before his life became dedicated to this project, Adam studied classical piano and euphonium, toured as a drummer with a heavy metal band until his academic pursuits led him to study nutrition and dietetics at the University of Pittsburgh.  I’m excited to probe the depths of a naturalist who has dedicated so much time and effort to help us all learn more about the land under our feet.   Topics Covered:   Charting a New Life Course Through Nutrition  Learning from Mentors and Naturalist Groups  Western Pennsylvania Mushroom and Wild Food Community  Finding Purpose in Sharing Information About Nature  Foraging in Western Pennsylvania  Connection with Land as Essential to Human Health  Tips for Other Educators  Content Creation as a Disciplined Learning Process  Foraging Wild Water, Medicine and Food  Land and Belonging  Transcending Dystopian Futures  Significance of Land Trusts & Giving Back to Natural Spaces  Learning Each Mushroom that Crosses Your Path  Future Projects for “Learn Your Land”  Episode Resources:   Learn Your Land Website: https://learnyourland.com/  Learn Your Land YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcbf8wnyVJl631LAmAbo7nw  Learn Your Land IG: https://www.instagram.com/learnyourland/  Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club: https://wpamushroomclub.org/  Echinoderma asperum (Fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinoderma_asperum  

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to have a conversation with Te’Lario Watkins II, founder of Tiger Mushroom Farms. Te’Lario started his mushroom farm at the age of 7 on the heels of a Cub Scout Project. Now at age 12, Te’Lario is a speaker, author, Hunger Hero and nonprofit Founder. He grows shiitake mushrooms in his basement and oyster mushrooms in a spare bedroom.  Te’Lario sells them at a farmers market and local restaurants. Te’Lario’s mission is to help end hunger and encourage kids to eat healthier. He has worked with No Kid Hungry to raise awareness and funds to end hunger. He volunteers with Food Rescue US and delivers unsold food from restaurants to food pantries. Te’Lario recently started his own nonprofit “The Garden Club Project” to help his mission to end hunger. This summer, Te’Lario’s nonprofit delivered over 2,000 pounds to a local food pantry in his community. Te’Lario was recently “gifted” a microgreen business and plans to donate some of the proceeds to his nonprofit to help his community even more.   Topics Covered:  Inspired by the Cub Scouts    Discovering Mushrooms for Winter Growing  "Back to the Roots" Grow Kits  Birth of Tiger Mushroom Farms  The Rise of Kid-preneurs  Writing a Children's Book  Making Healthy Delicious & Famous Shiitake Bacon  Te’Lario’s Mission to End Hunger  No Kid Hungry, Food Rescue & the Garden Club Project  Future Plans for Te’Lario and Tiger Mushroom Farm  Episode Resources:  Te'Lario Watkins II IG: https://www.instagram.com/telariowatkinsii/  Tiger Mushroom Farms IG: https://www.instagram.com/tigermushroomfarms_/  Tiger Mushroom Farms Website: https://www.tigermushroomfarms.com/home.html  "Te'Lario's Amazing Mushroom Farm": https://www.amazon.com/TeLarios-Amazing-Mushroom-TeLario-Watkins/dp/1975604741  Back to the Roots Grow Kits: https://backtotheroots.com/  No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org/  Food Rescue: https://foodrescue.us/  Worthington Farmer's Market: https://www.worthingtonfarmersmarket.com/  Sassafras Bakery: https://www.sassafrasbakery.com/  

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the pleasure of learning from Jackie Shay. Jackie is a fungal evolutionary biologist and microbial ecologist fascinated with the intimate history and future significance of symbiotic relationships between plant hosts and their microbial communities. Her goal is to use integrative techniques to explore these interactions in the natural world and learn how we can apply these partnerships to promote conservation and resilience through climate change. Jackie received a master's in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the Desjardin lab at San Francisco State University studying the evolution of wood decaying mushrooms (Marasmius) from Madagascar. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Sexton and Frank labs in the Quantitative and Systems Biology Program at the University of California, Merced. This interdisciplinary team has set out to uncover the mystery behind the Monkeyflower microbiome and discover whether these microbes influence their plant hosts across its range.  Topics Covered:  From Urban Dweller to Forest Lover  Desjardin Lab at SFSU  Marasmius Research in Madagascar  Unseen Ecological Importance of Saprobic Fungi  Fungal Genetics  Importance of "ITS" Region in Fungal Gene Sequencing  Discovering New Species of Marasmius  Monkeyflower Microbiome  Bioinformatics  Endophytes Defined  Endophytes and Climate Change  Mysteries of "Dark" Endophytes  We Need More Mycologists!  New Pedagogic Career Path & Future Plans  Episode Resources:Jackie Shay Website: https://www.jackieshay.com/  Castilleja miniata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja_miniataMarasmius (Fungi Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MarasmiusDesjardin Lab SFSU: http://biology.sfsu.edu/people/dennis-desjardin  Mimulus "Monkeyflower" (Plant Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MimulusSexton and Frank labs UC Merced: http://sextonlab.ucmerced.edu/  Merced Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning: https://cetl.ucmerced.edu/Cordyceps (Fungi Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

Today on Mushroom Hour we are privileged to get to speak with Orion Aon, founder of Forage Colorado. Orion is a Colorado transplant with a lifelong passion for the outdoors and anything there is to do in them. He loves to hunt, fish, forage, camp, wander and wonder, look at trees, you name it! Orion grew up in Santa Fe, NM where he first started mushroom hunting with his family looking for king boletes, chanterelles, and hawk's wings - like a treasure hunt in the woods that got him hooked. In 2008, he moved to Colorado to attend CSU where he would study Natural Resource Management and Fisheries Biology. In 2015 Orion started Forage Colorado as a place where he could share his passion for Colorado foraging with others. His first big project was writing a series about Colorado morels, which has helped a lot of people who didn’t even know there were morels in Colorado to find their first ones. He now offers private foraging classes and does talks, events, and leads forays for his local mycological society.  Topics Covered:   Family Tradition Becomes a Passion for Foraging  Colorado Mycological Societies  Unique Mushroom Habitat of the Southwestern US  Mysteries of Colorado Morels  Finding Mushroom Spots on the Rocky Mountain range  Foraging as a Source of Connection  Wild Food Sustainability  "Forage Colorado" Passion Project  Cooking with Foraged Finds  Educating Through Social Media  Studies in Natural Resource Management  Career with Colorado State Seedling Nursery  Treatise on Dandelion  Foraging Books and Future Plans  Episode Resources:   Forage Colorado Website: https://www.foragecolorado.com/  Forage Colorado FB: https://www.facebook.com/foragecolorado/  Forage Colorado IG: https://www.instagram.com/foragecolorado/?hl=en  Colorado Mycological Society: https://cmsweb.org  Fort Collins Mycological Society: https://www.facebook.com/FoCoMycoClub/  Pikes Peak Mycological Society: pikespeakmyc.org  Colorado State Seedling Nursery: https://csfs.colostate.edu/seedling-tree-nursery/  Samuel Thayer Website (Inspiration): https://www.foragersharvest.com/  Briana Wiles (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/rootedapothecary/?hl=en  Erica Davis: https://wildfoodgirl.com  Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Rocky-Mountain-Region-Timber/dp/1604695765  Rocky Mountain Mushrooms by Habitat (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Mountain-Mushrooms-Habitat/dp/0252081463

Wade Davis is Professor of Anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia. Between 2000 and 2013 he served as Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and was named by NGS as one of the Explorers for the Millennium. He has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.” His work has taken him to unique biomes across the world including East Africa, Borneo, Nepal, Peru, Polynesia, Tibet, Mali, Benin, Togo, New Guinea, Australia, Colombia, Vanuatu, Mongolia and the high Arctic of Nunuvut and Greenland. An ethnographer, writer, photographer and filmmaker, Davis holds degrees in anthropology and biology and received his Ph.D. in ethnobotany, all from Harvard University. Through the Harvard Botanical Museum, he spent three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, living among 15 indigenous groups in eight Latin American nations while making some 6000 botanical collections. Davis is the author of 320 scientific and popular articles and 23 books and as a professional speaker for 30 years, has lectured at over 200 universities and 250 corporations and professional associations.  One of only 20 Honorary Members of the Explorers Club, his incredible list of awards, medals and accolades would warrant its own podcast. We’ve connected here today to introduce our audience to this incredible explorer, give some of his background and dive into his newest work about one of the most biodiverse and culturally relevant countries in the world – Colombia and it’s great river the Magdalena.  ⚠️ There were some issues with audio capture at certain points in the interview. After 12 minutes you get through the roughest patches, but I encourage you to listen in even to the rough bits! There is gold here 💛  Topics Covered:  Anthropological and Ethnobotanical Influences at Harvard  Richard Evans Schultes & David Maybury-Lewis  Cross-Disciplinary Importance of Anthropology  Emergence of Concepts of Conservation & Biodiversity   Magical, Animated Worldview vs. Inert, Material Worldview  Indigenous Shaman as Natural Philosopher  Psychedelic Renaissance  Colombia & the Magdalena River  Scale & Impact of Cocaine Trade on Colombia  Colombia's Ongoing Civil War  Enshrining Indigenous & Environmental Rights  Coca - Divine Leaf of Immortality  Colombia’s Outrageous Biodiversity  Resiliency of Colombian People  Hopes for the Book & Future of Colombia  Episode Resources:  Wade Davis Website: https://daviswade.com/wadeWade Davis Teaching Website: https://anth.ubc.ca/profile/wade-davis/Wade Davis IG: https://www.instagram.com/wadedavisofficial/Magdalena: River of Dreams (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Magdalena-River-Dreams-Wade-Davis/dp/0375410996Richard Evans Schultes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Evans_SchultesDavid Maybury-Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Maybury-LewisFranz Boas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_BoasTimothy Plowman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Plowman

Today on Mushroom Hour we are fortunate to be joined be Alison Pollack. Alison is a photographer specializing in making large the diminutive dwellers of the forest - Myxomycetes (commonly referred to as slime molds) and tiny fungi. Her passion is finding, photographing, identifying and sharing these miniature worlds to bring awareness to the fascinating organisms that exist right at our feet in the forest but are largely hidden to the naked eye.  Alison has always had a casual interest in photography, but when she retired from the field of air quality consulting she upgraded to a DSLR and began shooting landscapes at home and while traveling - hiking with her husband throughout the world. It wasn’t until she found and photographed her first slime mold, however, that she got serious about mushroom and myxo photography. Alison’s photographs have been featured in numerous publications, including Colossal, Bored Panda, MyModernMet, the German National Geographic magazine GEO, Der Spiegel, and the Sunday New York Times Magazine. Known as “Marin Mushrooms” on Instagram, her widely shared posts have inspired people to slow down on their hikes to search for these tiny life forms that she loves.    Topics Covered:  Alison’s Discovery of Slime Molds  Searching vs. Foraging  How to Find Myxomycetes and Ascomycetes  Cultivating Myxomycetes  Capturing the Miniature World of Myxos  Photography in the Wild and in a Studio  Evolution as a Photographer  Equipment for Ultra-Macro Photography  "Focus Stacking"  Microscopic Captures  Myxobacteria  Power of Fungi Community  Breaking Through Internationally  Future Events and Exhibitions  Episode Resources:  Alison Pollack (IG): https://www.instagram.com/marin_mushrooms/  Alison Pollack (FB): https://www.facebook.com/AlisonKPollack  FB Slime Mold Identification and Appreciation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlimeMold/   Sarah Lloyd: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.lloyd.tasmania/   Leah Mycelia: https://www.instagram.com/leah_mycelia/  Raynox Add-On Lens for Macro Photography: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/275182-REG/Raynox_DCR_250_DCR_250_2_5x_Super_Macro.html  Focus Stacking Software: https://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker  Myxomycetes - A Handbook of Slime Molds (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Myxomycetes-Handbook-Steven-L-Stephenson/dp/0881924393/  Fungi of Temperate Europe  (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Fungi-Temperate-Europe-Thomas-Laessoe/dp/0691180377

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed by the presence of Noah Kalos, founder of the groundbreaking Youtube and social media channels “MycoLyco”. This work is a blend of his passions for nature, mycology and electronic music. He originally got hooked on electronic music production at the age of 17, but in the past 6 years Noah took that passion to the next level, getting deep into digital music hardware and electrical engineering. Noah majored in studio art at Oberlin College and then spent 5+ years living in the woods transitioning between outdoor roles as a camp counselor and nature therapist. During his time in the wild, he became familiar with all kinds of wild foods and has been a longtime mycology enthusiast. In the wake of the pandemic, Noah decided to focus on growing mushrooms. His plan was to convert his music studio into a mycology lab, but after a fateful connection between mycelium and synth electrodes, the studio and lab became one in the same. Now with his MycoLyco project, Noah has been giving us all a window into the incredible musical frequencies of fungi. (Intro and Outro music is the sound of mushrooms from the new MycoLyco album!)Topics Covered:Noah’s Origin Story  Years Spent Living in Nature  Mushroom Cultivation & Cordyceps  Marriage of Synth and Mushroom - Birth of Myco Lyco  Waves and Resistance Converting into Digital Sounds  Biodata Sonification  Responses to Stimuli & Rhythmic Spiking Behaviors  Hooking up Crystals, Cacti and Orchids to the Synthesizer  Unique Hallmarks of Mushroom Sound Waves  Is there Sonic Communication Between Mushrooms?  Mycelium Sentience  Fungi Offering New Perspectives  Explosion of Citizen Science and Autodidactic Learning  Tips for Exploring Modular Synth  Future Plans for Myco Lyco  Episode Resources:Myco Lyco Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmw-u-2kzPQPO5n9sTpcyA  Myco Lyco Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mycolyco?lang=en  Myco Lyco IG: https://www.instagram.com/mycolyco/  Myco Lyco FB: https://www.facebook.com/mycolycomycology/ Midisprout/Plantwave: https://www.midisprout.com/  Instruo Scion: https://www.instruomodular.com/   MAKEN0ISE YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/MAKEN0ISE  Divkid YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/DivKidVideo  Andrew is Music YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/songstowearpantsto   Arduino Uno: https://store.arduino.cc/usa/arduino-uno-rev3    Biodata Sonification Github: https://github.com/13-37-org/midi-biodata  

Today we have the privilege of speaking with Kevin Feeney, PhD, JD. Kevin is a cultural anthropologist and lawyer currently working as a Program Director and Instructor in Interdisciplinary Studies – Social Sciences at Central Washington University. His primary research interests include examining legal and regulatory issues surrounding the religious and cultural use of psychoactive substances, with an emphasis on peyote and ayahuasca, and exploring modern and traditional uses of Amanita muscaria, with a specific focus on medicinal use and preparation practices. His research has been published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Human Organization, and Curare, among other books and journals. He is a current board member of Cactus Conservation Institute, which is dedicated to the study and preservation of vulnerable cacti and is also a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.   Topics Covered:   Kevin’s Formative Experiences with Amanita muscaria  Amanita’s Biochemistry and Psychoactive Compounds  Gordon Wasson’s Famous Analysis of the Vedic “SOMA”  Breakthroughs on Soma’s “Three Filters” with Trent Austin  Hypothesized Migration of the Mushroom Cult  Recurring Mushroom Symbology Found Across Cultures  Is Santa Claus an Amanita Shaman?  Tales of Medicinal & Shamanic Uses from the Indigenous Koryak and Sami Peoples  “Killer Details” in Examining Archaeological & Mythological Evidence  Discernment When Interpreting Folklore and Historical Texts  Viking Berserkers, Odin and the Mead of Inspiration  Amanita Muscaria Motifs in Celtic and Irish Folklore  Did a Worldwide Amanita Muscaria Cult Influence most Spiritual Traditions?  Inspiration for Writing the Book & Hopes for the Future  Episode Resources:   Kevin Feeney Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin_Feeney  Fly Agaric: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, & Exploration: https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Agaric-Compendium-Pharmacology-Exploration/dp/0578714426/  Amanita muscaria (mushroom): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_muscaria_muscaria.html  Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality (Gordon Wasson): https://www.amazon.com/Soma-Mushroom-Immortality-Ethno-Mycological-Studies/dp/0156838001  Peter McCoy/Radical Mycology: https://www.radicalmycology.com/  Soma (Folklore): https://www.britannica.com/topic/soma-Hinduism  Odin (Folklore): https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odin-Norse-deity  Cú Chulainn (Folklore): https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cu-Chulainn  Brigit (Folklore): https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brigit