The Mushroom Hour Podcast

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

Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by the distinguished Lynne Boddy, Professor of Microbial Ecology at Cardiff University. After undergraduate studies in Biology and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Exeter, she was interested in any and every type of ecology. A fortuitous position at the University of London led her to studying wood decay processes, which would turn out to be the subject of her PhD. That work snowballed into a 40-year exploration of wood decay processes with fungi at its core. As well as scientifically challenging and environmentally of massive consequences, mycelia and their interactions have a huge aesthetic appeal for Professor Boddy. There are so many burning questions when it comes to fungal biology, fungi’s relationships to food sources, fungi’s relationship to other fungi and other microorganisms that she, along with around 40 PhD students, post-docs and other co-workers, have striven and are striving to answer. Lynne’s passion for fungi laces out into studies of mycorrhizal fungi, the rising amateur mycologist community, and nearly every other aspect of how fungi will change human lives. There is an obvious joy in her communication of this information to both student audiences and to the public at large. We’re about to enter an exciting world of fungal battles, life and death struggles, epic hunts for food and the complexities of non-human intelligence. Topics Covered:Professor Boddy’s PhD ResearchWood Decay ProcessesFungi's Role in Wood DecayEndophytesFungal Competitive StrategiesResource Unit Restricted Fungi Cord-Developing FungiHow Does Mycelium Choose Where to Grow?How Does Mycelium Pass Information?Mycelium Network ArchitectureDoes Mycelium Have Memory?Heartwood Rot FungiImpact of Climate Change on FungiImportance of Amateur ContributionsEpisode Resources:Lynne Boddy Website: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/81120-boddy-lynnePhanerochaete velutina (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhanerochaeteHypholoma fasciculare (fungi): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypholoma_fasciculare.htmlPhallus impudicus (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_impudicusMegacollybia platyphylla (fungi): https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/megacollybia-platyphylla.phpDirected, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour) Music by: Ancient Baby (https://peckthetowncrier.bandcamp.com/)   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano (http://www.wyndistefano.com/)   

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to travel to Uganda to speak with Josephine Nakakande. Josephine was a founding member of The Environmental Conservation & Agricultural Enhancement Uganda or “Eco-Agric Uganda” and has been the Executive Director of the organization since 2018. Eco-Agric Uganda is a Ugandan Community-based NGO. major focus was improving food security, nutrition, and income among critically vulnerable women through sustainable farming practices. However, over time, they have included interventions like HIV prevention and control, sanitation and environmental strategies that affect agriculture. They have explored a unique, holistic approach to supporting households with interventions like; training adolescent girls with vocational skills so they can support their children. The organization now has over 65,000 beneficiaries with well-established offices in Hoima Kibaale and Wakiso districts. It also started an international volunteers program and since 2017, Eco-Agric Uganda has hosted over 162 volunteers from all over the world. One of Eco-Agric’s biggest projects is their mushroom farming project in partnership with the Marr-Munning Trust. Farmers are trained on how to grow and manage mushrooms in their gardens and the materials needed in mushroom production. Please help empower women and protect the critically vulnerable in Uganda! You can help by donating your time, your mushroom knowledge, your expertise and/or money to EcoAgric Uganda. https://www.givingway.com/organization/ecoagric-ugandaTopics Covered:The Story of JosephineWomen and Agriculture in UgandaChallenges Women Face in UgandaFounding EcoAgric UgandaAgricultural Programs in Wakiso and Hoima DistrictsGrassroots Community OrganizationsImpact of UC Davis Trellis FundDeveloping Systems to Help Critically Vulnerable PopulationsEconomic Development & Vocational TrainingMushroom Cultivation in UgandaImportance of Mushrooms as a Source of Food & IncomePlans to Scale Mushroom Farming ProgramImportance of Volunteer OrganizationsEcoAgric Future Plans - A Call to Action!Episode Resources:EcoAgric Uganda Website: https://ecoagricuganda.org/EcoAgric Uganda IG: https://www.instagram.com/josephine.ecoagric/EcoAgric Uganda FB: https://www.facebook.com/ecoagricuganda.orgGivingway Donation Page: https://www.givingway.com/organization/ecoagric-ugandaAngels for Angels Website: https://www.angelsforangels.net/projects/UC Davis Trellis Fund: https://horticulture.ucdavis.edu/trellisMarr-Munning Trust: http://www.marrmunningtrust.org.uk/Vibrant Village: https://www.vibrantvillage.org/Obutiko obubaala (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termitomyces_microcarpus

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to chat with Scott Stimpson. Better known for his incredibly popular social media accounts “woodlandcravings”, Scott has been foraging for over 8 years across 18 different states in the US. Growing up in Broward County Florida, Scott was immersed in a diverse culture and developed a love of foods from all over. His love of food naturally led to a love of cultivation and appreciating the culinary abundance that is all around us in nature. Not until Scott learned the word “permaculture” did he know the path he had to take.  His passion for agroforestry, foraging and mushrooms eventually led him to the mushroom mecca, the Pacific Northwest. As a student of working with the land in all these varied disciplines, Scott has developed an intimate relationship with natural systems. His lifestyle revolves around a symbiosis with the land and he is keenly aware of a responsibility to act as a shepherd of our Earth. As part of his great work, Scott shares his knowledge about permaculture techniques and ethical foraging with others, both online and in-person. For anyone who has followed Scott’s work, it is clear his passion and gratitude for nature’s culinary bounty are present in equal measure. I’m excited to learn more about this sacred relationship we have with the land that provides for us and how to give back as much as we receive.  Topics Covered:Scott’s Early Influences & Love of Food   Path Towards Permaculture  Florida Foraging Safari – Citrus, Smilax, Hog plums & Lactarius Indigo  Primal Connections to Foraging for Food   Shift from Florida to the PNW   Foraging as a Sacred Practice   Understanding Ecology & Sustainable Foraging  Integrating Agroforestry   Responsibility that Comes with Sharing Wild Food Information  The Importance of Hidden Knowledge  Honoring Indigenous Space  Mushroom Recipes & Preservation Techniques  Wild Food Inspiration in the Restaurant Industry  Future of Woodland Cravings  Episode Resources: Woodland Cravings Website: https://www.woodlandcravings.com/  Woodland Cravings IG: https://www.instagram.com/woodlandcravings/  Woodland Cravings Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@woodlandcravings  Smilax (Plant): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilax  Hog Plums (Plant): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondias_mombin  Catathelasma ventricosum (Mushroom): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/catathelasma_ventricosum.html  Fungi for the People (Inspiration): https://fungiforthepeople.org/ Leah Mycelia (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/leah_mycelia/ Chef Virgilio Martínez (Inspiration): https://www.starchefs.com/cook/chefs/bio/virgilio-martinezHericium (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HericiumClathrus Ruber (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrus_ruber