The Mushroom Hour Podcast

Today on Mushroom Hour we are honored to be joined by Professor Tom Bruns of the UC Berkeley Dept. of Plant & Microbial Biology. Tom’s primary focus has been fungal ecology, and most of his work in this area has been at the community ecology or autecology levels.  The Professor breaks down some fundamentals about the study of ecosystems before he pushes us into the deep end or exploring one of his most researched subjects and one of the most ecologically relevant organisms on the planet - mycorrhizal fungi. It is impossible to overstate the importance of mycorrhizal networks. Ever since plants came out of the nutrient soup that is the ocean, they have enlisted the aid of fungal allies to survive and gather nutrients from the soil. Between the 2 main types, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi, mycorrhizal fungi connect almost all plants on Earth into their nutrient-exchanging networks. But what are the differences between these groupings of mycorrhizal fungi? What, if any evidence, do we have of their evolutionary history?   Much of Tom's research has focused on the ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi that dominate the temperate forests that many of us are familiar with in the United States. Walking us through the findings of his years of research, it becomes clear that our temperate forests cannot thrive or expand without EM fungi leading the way in colonizing new soil and partnering with new tree seedlings. With loads of EM players involved, and many lacking a big showy mushroom, there is still plenty of mystery when it comes to how mycorrhizal fungi establish themselves and reproduce. We learn about some of the factors that may contribute to successful propagation between different species and quickly come face to face with some of the burning questions when it comes to EM fungi - Why do the most desirable EM fungi like porcini and chanterelle spring up where they do? Is it possible to purposely inoculate trees and cultivate our favorite culinary mushrooms?? Is the ever-mysterious morel mushroom a mycorrhizal fungi?   With the aid of ever-advancing sampling technology, we have a better picture than ever of what is going on in the mycorrhizal realm. Tom's lab has been on the forefront of using these cutting-edge technologies to piece together more and more information. As he continually trains amazing scientists to further the study of mycorrhizal relationships, Tom's own work has shifted to focus on how fungi recolonize areas devastated by wildfires. What role do fungi play in helping ecosystems rebound from fire? We wrap up our conversation learning about an infamous ectomycorrhizal fungi, the amanita phalloides or deathcap mushroom, in the context of cutting-edge research from his grad student Catharine Adams.   Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, 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/)   Episode ResourcesProfessor Tom Bruns (profile and research papers): https://plantandmicrobiology.berkeley.edu/profile/bruns   Tomentella Spore Dispersal via Soil Food Webs (paper): https://nature.berkeley.edu/brunslab/papers/lilleskov2005.pdf   Catharine Adams (graduate student): https://plantandmicrobiology.berkeley.edu/profile/cadams   

This week on Mushroom Hour we are grateful for the opportunity to speak with our guest Giuliana Furci. Giuliana is founder and president of the Fungi Foundation and has been the greatest advocate for the study and protection of the Fungi Kingdom in recent decades in the country of Chile. She managed to make Chile the first country in the world to include fungi in its environmental impact assessment legislation.  Giuliana's upbringing took her across the Atlantic as her family fled political persecution, but she returned to Chile as a young adult. Already armed with a passion for fungi, Giuliana made a life-changing decision to forgo studying abroad and instead would try to invigorate the mycological tradition in a largely mycophobic nation that did not have any avenues for studying fungi. That brave decision, and her perseverance in her mission to study fungi, has forever changed her country.  After years of self-taught and self-led field mycology work documenting Chile's fungi, Giuliana founded The Fungi Foundation - the first NGO on Earth to be dedicated to promoting the knowledge, appreciation and protection of fungi. The Foundation has now expanded and supports many projects in Chile, but the biggest effort they have undertaken is their work in changing legislation to protect fungi. Giuliana and her team seized an opportunity to change environmental laws and implement a regulatory and enforcement framework that mandates all building projects in Chile must include an analysis of how they will impact local fungi populations, in addition to plants and animals. Chile is now the only country in the world that specifically protects fungi in its environmental legislation. How did they achieve this historical milestone? How does the shift from identifying "flora and fauna" to "flora, fauna and funga" fundamentally change our ecological perspectives as a society?  Leaving the halls of government, we'll try to keep up with Giuliana as she traverses the country for months at a time, hoping to coincide with the appearance of mushrooms. From the Atacama desert to the mountains of the Patagonia, Chile's unique geography makes for an incredible amount of unexplored biodiversity, especially when it comes to fungi! We'll learn to never underestimate the power of an encounter with a fungus and Giuliana will educate us on the proper steps to scientifically document mushrooms we find in the wild.  Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, 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/)   Episode ResourcesFungi Foundation Website: https://ffungi.org/   Calvatia Family (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvatia   Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Northeastern-United-States-Eastern/dp/1604696346   Mushrooms of California (Book): https://www.amazon.com/California-Mushrooms-Comprehensive-Identification-Guide/dp/1604693533/   Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Redwood-Coast-Comprehensive-California/dp/1607748177/   

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed to have the opportunity to interview Daniel Winkler. Daniel has been organizing mushroom focused eco-adventures across the world since 2007. His research on different species of Cordyceps has been featured in The Economist, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, BBC World Service and more. Emerging from the deep, Bavarian forests we meet a young Daniel who was foraging steinpilz (boletus edulis) when he was only 3-years-old! His academic studies saw him working on environmental and ecological issues and a sequence of synchronicity found him pursuing this work in Tibet. While he applied his training to benefit Tibetan communities, he soon found himself ensconced by the mysterious and highly-prized Yartsa Gunbu - the Tibetan catepillar fungus. We know this mushroom in the West as Ophiocordyceps Sinesis.Daniel was one of the first westerners to deeply explore this famous zombie mushroom in the 1990's. Daniel will explain the unique ecology of the Ophiocordyceps Sinesis and why "CS-4", the strain that has been widely used in labs for testing medicinal properties and growing medicinal supplements, is likely not true ophiocordyceps sinesis! His fascinating research focused not only the physiology of the fungus, but also the history and ethnomycological implications of its use in Tibetan and Chinese culture. What profound economic impacts has the collection of Yartsa Gunbu had on the people of Tibet? How has this fungus had a massive influence in the diplomatic relations between Tibet and China for centuries? Vicarious adventure abounds as we join a MushRoaming ecotour and experience the hunt for Yartsa Gunbu for ourselves. This pursuit of cordyceps then continues into the Amazon where an explosion of tropical biodiversity means we find a vastly more diverse collection of cordyceps species, including many that are unknown to science. What are any applications of these cordyceps species that can be found in the Amazon? Are there medicinal benefits that are yet to be discovered?Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, 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/)   Episode ResourcesMushRoaming website: http://mushroaming.com/Yartsa Gunbu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_sinensis

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the pleasure of speaking with Merlin Sheldrake, author of the groundbreaking fungal narrative, Entangled Life. Merlin is a biologist and a writer with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama.   Our voyage begins in the fertile jungles of Panama, teeming with biodiversity of all kinds. It's here that we find Merlin studying mycoheterotrophic plants and unlocking the secrets of the seemingly infinite web of mycelium that skeins out underneath the forest floor. His work in Panama captures our imaginations and peels up the edges of many key concepts that pop up again and again through the pages of his book.   It becomes apparent that as our collective understandings of ecology and biology advance, we can no longer examine organisms in a vacuum, without understanding their complex relationships. Fungi so easily embrace this "intimacy of strangers" and have a seemingly unparalleled ability to form entangled relationships with other living things. Why are fungi in particular such potent scions of symbiosis?   Riding tips of hyphae through rotscapes and the wood wide web, we'll marvel at the paradox of mycelium-based intelligence - living labyrinths that are seemingly processing information everywhere at once, and nowhere in particular. It is able to make decisions, it recognizes the limits of its physical form and it can adapt to changing circumstances, all without the help of a brain. Do analogies relating mycelium structures to our own brains aid or hinder our understanding of them? Why should we be careful when we examine fungi through an anthropocentric lens?   Human society has been perpetually guided by fungal influences - both in our physical relationships with them and in the stories we tell about them. When we imbibe or ingest fungi, we participate in this ancient relationship as the fungal consciousness influences our human experience. And whether it was psychedelic entheogens that opened up doors of perception or invisible yeasts that magically created bread, beer or wine, the myths and rituals we developed around fungi also shaped the course of civilizations. How will fungi continue to influence the course of humankind? Where can we find hope in fungal solutions to human problems?   Our wizened, fungal wizard Merlin beckons us to descend into the earth and find communion with our favorite, more-than-human organisms on their terms - and learn something about ourselves in the process.   Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, 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/)   Episode Resources Merlin Sheldrake's website: https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/   Merlin Sheldrake's IG: https://www.instagram.com/merlin.sheldrake/   Entangled Life (Book): https://bookshop.org/books/entangled-life-how-fungi-make-our-worlds-change-our-minds-shape-our-futures/9780525510314

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to interview Saga Mariah Sandberg. Saga Mariah is an accomplished artist whose work focuses on mushrooms and other natural subjects. Her work has been described as authentic, beguiling, captivating and, perhaps above all, a beautifully curated celebration of Sweden’s natural systems.   In this second part of our two-part interview, Saga will be our guide through the folklore, myths and legends of Sweden. This epic journey starts with a brief introduction to the indigenous Sami people, whose tribes inhabited polar regions across Europe and Asia. We quickly come face to face with everyone's favorite pirate traders - the Vikings. Best known for their fierce warriors, their clans of elite fighters who donned bear-skins and wolf-skins are the origin of the English words "berserker" and "werewolf". There is a legend that Viking berserkers used the delirium-inducing amanita muscaria to fuel their rage prior to battle - but is it true?   Continuing our journey through time, we'll see that the peoples of Sweden have always sought the aid of shamans to access higher realms of consciousness. One of the most powerful spiritual conduits were master witches known as valas or völvas. These female mystics channeled spiritual power by performing a sejd (trance-inducing chant) and calling upon the aid of one's haugen (spirit or soul) with the help of a women's circle, a drum and a staff. Did entheogens or mushrooms play any role in the practices or powers of these wise women?   Attuning with the realms beyond our own, we commune with spirit animals and spirit guardians and then dive into the realm of the Vaesen. The Vaesen is another dimension that is the domain of otherworldly beings including trolls, fairies and mushrooms! These spirits feature prominently in Swedish myths and their influence persists to this day. Because non-bracket mushrooms were considered of the Vaesen domain, they were avoided as "troll food" by ancient Swedes. Luckily this has completely reversed in more recent times as Swedes have begun to deify the mushroom! These ancient myths, folk tales and spiritual concepts we discuss echo through many parts of our modern society and still live on in modern Swedish culture and language.    Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, 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/)   Episode Resources   Saga-Mariah's Art & Illustration Website: https://www.sagamariah.se/   Saga-Mariah IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagamariah_floral/     Berserker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker   Vala/völva: https://norse-mythology.net/volva-the-viking-witch-or-seeress/   Vaesen Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Vaesen-Spirits-Monsters-Scandinavian-Folklore/dp/B072MFGQVG/  

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to interview Saga Mariah Sandberg. Saga Mariah is an accomplished artist whose work focuses on mushrooms and other natural subjects. Her work has been described as authentic, beguiling, captivating and, perhaps above all, a beautifully curated celebration of Sweden’s natural systems.   In this first part of our two-part interview, we travel to the beautiful Varmland region of Sweden, the land that our artist Saga Mariah calls home. We'll experience life on her family's farm through the curious & rebellious eyes of young Saga. This wild environment and her bold nature as a child led young Saga to develop a lifelong fascination with insects, plants, animals and of course fungi! We'll venture deep into the woods and explore ancestral mushroom forage grounds that have been passed down from generation to generation - sometimes for hundreds of years. Like the forage patches themselves, Saga's mother passed down her knowledge of foraging to Saga when she was old enough to walk! This type of fungi hunting lineage is found throughout Sweden and it helps us understand how deeply ingrained foraging is in the culture. But how did an ancient cultural fear of all mushrooms eventually transition into such an intimate relationship with them? Throughout the enchanting, winding paths of our conversation, we witness Saga's development as an artist. As a child discovering her natural talents, to her first art exhibit at 11 years old, through an academic career in design to her current work as a freelance illustrator and designer, she has blazed her own trail. She now produces amazing works rendering wild mushrooms and ecological biotopes with a captivating, "saturated" style that is all her own. We'll see her mission to educate with her ecological art come full circle as her works are showcased in Sweden's most well-known natural history museum. How does an artist find their own voice in both the composition, production and distribution of their art?Thanks for listening and Mush Love!    Directed, 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/)   Episode Resources   Saga-Mariah's Art & Illustration Website: https://www.sagamariah.se/   Saga-Mariah IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagamariah_floral/      Violet Cortinarius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortinarius_violaceus   Varmland, Sweden: https://www.visitvarmland.se/en    

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the blessing to interview Benjamin Lillibridge. Benjamin is the founder of Big Island based Mālama Mushrooms, a business focused on bringing superfood mushroom extracts to the masses for immunity, brain health, and energy support.   This week's journey takes us to the Big Island of Hawaii - one of the most unique biomes on the planet. With Ben as our guide, we'll take a tropical tour through the fungal landscape of the Big Island, including a look at some of Hawaii's endemic fungi. We'll learn how a mission to catalog Hawaii's fungi was sparked during a Radical Mycology community gathering that inspired him to found the Hawaii Mycoflora project with Jeff Stahlman and secure grant funding. What kinds of unique fungi are endemic to Hawaii? How does the relatively young geography of the islands play a role in fungal populations?    Ben has a rich background in agriculture and food systems, with years spent working on permaculture farms and with value-added food products. He has been able to leverage his knowledge and talents to found a medicinal mushroom company that employs ethical sourcing to deliver high-quality mushroom supplements. Staying true to his own integrity and love of fungi, Ben has been able to use his company's success as a platform. He plans to use the growth of Mālama Mushrooms to fund the creation of vertically integrated medicinal mushroom supply chains in Hawaii and fund his mycoflora research.    We wrap up our conversation talking about Ben's work with the Clarity Project - an Oahu-based organization that hopes to create a conversation around the classification of psilocybin-containing mushrooms as medicinal substances. How important is it for people to share their psychedelic experiences as a community and how can that lead to safer practices when it comes to engaging with entheogens?    Thanks for listening and Mush Love!    Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour(@welcome_to_mushroom_hour)   Music by: Ancient Baby   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano   Episode Resources   Hawaii Mycoflora Project on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mycoflora-of-hawaii-2019-new-list   Mālama Mushrooms IG: https://www.instagram.com/malamamushrooms/   Mālama Mushrooms Website: https://www.malamamushrooms.com/   The Clarity Project: https://clarityproject.org/

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to interview Oliver Merivee. Oliver is the co-founder of the Fungi Academy, a paradigm-shifting community and a sacred mycology school in Guatemala, located on the magical Lake Atitlán.Pack your bags and open your mind as we go on a world-spanning journey from Oliver's native Estonia over to Australia, hitchhiking across Mexico and winding up in Guatemala. His travels have given him a unique perspective on the human experience and the value of service to others. It can be liberating to take on the role of penniless traveler and rely on your faith in the Universe and synchronicity to provide what you need and take you where you need to go.Everyone has felt the allure of idyllic communes or intentional communities at one time or another. We get the chance to be part of the tribe at Fungi Academy and hear about how their community operates. Oliver has visited many communities throughout his journey and has been able to absorb invaluable insights from each. He has held space with elders and seen what makes an intentional community thrive. What are the most important pillars of intentional communities that help them stand the test of time? How do intentional communities achieve symbiosis with their surrounding environment and help build more resilient societies?We wrap things up with an expansive conversation about plant medicines and psychoactive mushrooms. The anecdotal evidence and growing scientific body of knowledge is offering hope that powerful therapies for the body, mind and spirit lie within our grasp. Responsible use of these natural substances encouraged Oliver to seek knowledge all over the world and Fungi Academy may not exist without their influence. How can we learn to use sacred mushrooms to help us embody principles of self-love and service to others?Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour) Music by: Ancient Baby   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano   Episode Resources Fungi Academy Sacred Mycology Courses: https://fungiacademy.com/sacred-mycology-school/Fungi Academy IG: https://www.instagram.com/fungiacademy/Fungi Academy Website: https://fungiacademy.com/Intentional Communities: https://www.ic.org/

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the extraordinary honor of interviewing William Padilla-Brown. Founder of MycoSymbiotics, William is a social entrepreneur, citizen scientist, mycologist, amateur 'phychologist', urban shaman, writer, you-tube vlogger, contributing editor for Fungi magazine, researcher, poet, and father.  Venturing into the woods of Pennsylvania, we'll train our eyes to go foraging for wild cordyceps with a man who has played a major role in popularizing the cultivation of this zombie mushroom. William walks us through some of the fundamental biochemistry of this fiery fruit body including the compounds in cordyceps that make them world-renowned medicinal fungi. While reviewing some well-known compounds like the adenosine-derivative cordycepin, Will also shines light on some lesser-known compounds like cordynin. How much of cordyceps' medicinal potential has yet to be researched and uncovered? How many different species are there and do cordycep species besides C. Sinesis and C. Militaris show promise in terms of their use as medicinals?   As a non-traditional educator and YouTube-university graduate, Will's journey has always involved novel methodologies when it comes to spreading scientific information across communities. We'll hear about his work in the lab and how he has given others the tools to practice the scientific method in their own home. Exploring the growing citizen science ecosystem, we'll glimpse a vision of a not-too-distant future where a decentralized network of home labs and community-based labs work together to push science forward. Can the application of models like community-based science and permaculture be enough to help manifest a better world? Is there an opportunity for a new, conscious generation to participate in what may be perceived as "broken" or "outdated" institutions to effectively subvert the dominant paradigm and create lasting, positive change?   We wrap up our chat talking about POC involvement in the mycological and citizen science communities. Inclusion is critical and everyone needs to be exposed to this life-changing information. What are some ways event organizers and mycology clubs can engage with POC communities?   Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour  (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour)  Music by: Ancient Baby   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano   Episode Resources  Mycosymbiote IG: https://www.instagram.com/mycosymbiote/   William Padilla-Brown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/William-Padilla-Brown/100006127386177   Mycosymbiotics: https://www.mycosymbiotics.net/   Mycosymbiotics Shop: https://www.mycoshop.net/   MycoFest: https://www.mycofest.net/   Globifomes Graveolens: http://www.mycoguide.com/guide/fungi/basi/agar/poly/poly/glob/graveolens   

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the pleasure of speaking with Rachel Zoller. Under her moniker, Yellow Elanor, she has become a pillar in the online mushroom education community. She teaches classes and speaks at mycological events across the Pacific Northwest.   We trek up to the wilds of BZ Corner, Washington to start exploring the forest floor with our master myco-educator! Rachel will guide us through the basics of mushroom identification, including the importance of engaging all of our senses in the process. We'll smell all the mushrooms we find, play with them and really experience the essence of these fungal treasures that we are seeking to understand.    As an educator and someone who spreads the love of fungi into her community she'll illustrate how, when it comes to mushrooms and the 50-year old science of mycology, passion is enough to put an amateur in a place to make a real impact. We'll also get comfortable coming out of our shell to engage mycology clubs and the local mushroom community and watch our learning accelerate exponentially.     As one of the most important roles she takes on, Rachel is the mother of two little mycophiles. For all you parents out there, she shares some invaluable advice when it comes to taking the little ones out mushroom hunting. How can your children, and your family dynamic, benefit from foraging for mushrooms together? How do you make sure mushrooms don't end up in a pocket or a basket that shouldn't be there?    Thanks for listening and Mush Love!   Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour  (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour)  Music by: Ancient Baby   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano   Episode Resources  Yellow Elanor IG: https://www.instagram.com/yellowelanor/   Yellow Elanor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/yellowelanor   Yellow Elanor Website: http://www.yellowelanor.com/    Mycena haematopus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_haematopus   Hericium abietis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_abietis