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

Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by the distinguished Dr. Matthew Smith. Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida and the curator of the UF Fungal Herbarium (FLAS). He teaches the UF mycology course and takes on the responsibility of identifying unknown fungi for a variety of Florida stakeholders, including the UF Plant Disease Clinic, UF-IFAS Extension Service, and the UF Veterinary School. His broad range of interests spans fungal ecology, evolution, and systematics. Dr. Smith has worked extensively on the biology and systematics of hypogeous fungi (“truffles”) and the ecology of plant-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. However, he has also studied a variety of other fungal groups, including plant pathogens Armillaria mellea ("oak root fungus") and Claviceps purpurea (Ergot disease of grasses) as well as the nematode-destroying fungi (Orbiliales and other Ascomycota). Dr. Smith’s work combines the synergistic use of molecular, morphological, and culture-based methods in both laboratory and field settings.Topics Covered:Mycology Journey from Sonoma California to University of Florida  What is a "Truffle"?  Biology of Truffles  Convergent Evolution of Truffle Fungi  Edible Truffles & Genus Tuber  Zygomycetes  North American Truffles  Commercial Truffle Farming  Truffle Foraging & Truffle Hounds  Role of Birds in Truffle Reproduction in Southern S. America  Applied Uses of Mycorrhizal Fungi  Tropical Ectomycorrhizal Fungi  Gondwana & Biogeography  Florida Museum of Natural History  Episode Resources:Dr. Matthew Smith Website: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/matthew-smith/  Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Gulf-Coast-States-Mississippi/dp/1477318151  Common Florida Mushrooms (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Common-Florida-mushrooms-James-Kimbrough/dp/B00069BG5I  Mushrooms Demystified (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Demystified-David-Arora/dp/0898151694/  Tuber magnatum (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_truffle  Tuber melanosporum (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuber_melanosporum  Tuber canaliculatum (Truffle): https://midwestmycology.org/tuber-canaliculatum/  Tuber lyonii (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan_truffle  William Murrill (Inspiration): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Murrill  

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed to have the company of Eugenia Bone. Eugenia is a nature and food journalist, as well as an author and speaker, whose writing is primarily about the connections between food, sustainability and the natural sciences.  Her work has appeared in many books, magazines, and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, and The National Lampoon. A member of the American Society of Science Writers,  founder of Slow Food Western Slope in Western Colorado, and former president of the New York Mycological Society,  she has lectured widely in venues like the Denver Botanical Garden and the New York Public Library. Eugenia is the author of six books, including the mushroom lover must-have “Mycophilia” and her most recent work Microbia: A Journey into the Unseen World Around You. Eugenia has lectured widely in venues like the Denver Botanical Gardens, the New York Public Library, and the Stone Barns Center. She’s currently featured in “Fantastic Fungi”, a movie about the magical world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth.   Topics Covered:   Winding Road to Mycophilia  How Basic Scientific Literacy Improves Your Life  Diverse Mushroom Community  Fungi as the Glue of Plants, Soil & Community  New York Mycological Society  Mushrooms in Urban Ecosystems  Fungi as a Gateway to Learning  Cooking & Preserving Mushrooms  Exploring the Microbial World  Symbiosis & Dysbiosis  Our Gut Microbiome  Limitless Applications of Endophytes  Psilocybin Therapy  Eugenia’s Favorite Forage Grounds and Mushroom Recipes  Episode Resources:   Eugenia Bone Website: http://www.eugeniabone.com/  Eugenia Bone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eugeniagbone/  Fantastic Fungi Cookbook: https://fantasticfungi.com/cookbook/  New York Mycological Society: http://newyorkmyc.org/  Mycophilia - Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms (book): https://www.amazon.com/Mycophilia-Revelations-Weird-World-Mushrooms/dp/1609619870   Microbia - A Journey Into the Unseen World Around You (book): https://www.amazon.com/Microbia-Journey-Unseen-World-Around/dp/1623367352

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the pleasure of speaking with the distinguished Todd Osmundson PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at The University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. Todd is a faculty member in the Department of Biology and his research specialties include studying the ecology, genetic relationships, geographic distributions, and conservation biology of bacteria and especially fungi, using fieldwork, microscopy, and molecular genetic (DNA-based) tools. His professional mycology career really began during a fateful encounter with a local mushroom club in Montana. Todd has conducted mycological fieldwork in the U.S., French Polynesia, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Svalbard, Thailand, and Australia. His varied research projects have seen him span alpine, arctic, tropical, and temperate habitats in search of fungi. There are few people more familiar with the process of finding, observing, extracting DNA, and genetically sequencing fungi. Let's learn more about where “we” are in cataloging fungal populations, what that means for mycology and how citizen scientists can be a part of this process. Topics Covered:Seizing Opportunity to Begin a Mycology CareerMorea & French PolynesiaModel Ecosystem Modeling with GeneticsPCR Analysis and SequencingInterpreting Genetic DataChallenges of Identifying Fungal SpeciesWhat are Clades and How Do We Use Them?165 Million Species of Fungi?!MicrosporidiansMysteries of Burn MorelsDifferentiating Individuals with GeneticsFungal Herbarium Collections as Genetic Vaults?Biogeography & Evolutionary HistoryDiversity Surveys & Fungi ConservationEpisode Resources:Todd Osmundson Website: https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/tosmundson/Larry Evans (Inspiration): http://www.montanamushrooms.com/tag/larry-evans/Dr Cathy Cripps (Inspiration): https://plantsciences.montana.edu/alpinemushrooms/investigators/principal.htmlMicrosporidians (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicrosporidiaAndy Bruce (student): https://andibruce.com/Alan Rockefeller (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/alan_rockefeller/Boletus separans (Mushroom): https://boletes.wpamushroomclub.org/product/xanthoconium-separans/Tylopilus (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylopilus

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the humbling privilege to speak with Tom Volk, Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Specializing in Mycology and Forest Pathology, Tom teaches courses on Mycology, Medical Mycology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Food & Industrial Mycology, Advanced Mycology, Organismal Biology and Latin & Greek for Scientists. His website, Tom Volk's Fungi has a popular "Fungus of the Month" feature, and an extensive introduction to Queendom Fungi. Besides dabbling in mushroom cultivation, Tom has worked intimately with the genera Morchella, Cantharellus, Hydnellum, Armillaria and Laetiporus, a lineup of edible varieties that will make every forager’s mouth water. He has also embarked on several medical mycology projects, investigations into prairie mycorrhizae, mycoprospecting, and fungi that are involved in coal formation. He also has conducted fungal biodiversity studies in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska, and Israel. Having lectured in 35 states so far, Tom is a popular speaker at many amateur and professional mycological events throughout North America, including NAMA and NEMF forays. Not the least of his accolades, Tom was named President of the Mycology Society of America in 2017. Topics Covered:An Obsession with Mycology is bornForest PathologyPrimary & Secondary MetabolitesEvolutionary Origins of MetabolitesMycotoxinsAflatoxinIs Organic Produce More Susceptible to Mycotoxins?Aspergillus, Penicillium and FusariumFuture of Mycelium-based foodsLifecycle of Morel MushroomsMedicinal Compounds in MushroomsCitizen MycologyMycology in AcademiaFungi in Coal FormationsEpisode Resources:Tom Volk Website: https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/tvolk/Tom Volk's Fungi: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/Aspergillus flavas (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_flavusBoletus frostii (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsudoporus_frostiiChanterelle (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanterelle