The Mushroom Hour Podcast

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the privilege of interviewing Phil Ross of MycoWorks. A pioneer in cultivating living materials for art and design, Phil began using mycelium in the 1990s as a medium for sculpture. Almost three decades on, Phil and his team of artists are now complemented by engineers, biologists, production specialists and material scientists in bringing the first Fine Mycelium™ material, Reishi™, to the world. Anyone who sees his work or hears him speak, can’t help but have their mind set alight by a spark of inspiration. Phil is one of those unique individuals who can take something ancient, like fungi, and derive novel uses for it that not only shift how we see fungi, unlock new ideas and new fields of discovery, but really expand humanity’s entire “realm of the possible”. His lifetime of work with mycelium hints at the vast ocean of infinite opportunities that await humanity as we explore kingdom fungi.    TOPICS COVERED:   Cooking as a Primer on the Practicum of Biotechnology  Push and Pull of Tropisms  Fungi as a Cypher to Understand Nature  From Forests to Graffiti - Learning to “Read” the Environment  Polypore Inspirations for Reishi™ Fine Mycelium Leather Products  Indigenous Use of Mycelium Leather  Medicinal Qualities of Reishi Mushrooms  Cultural Responses to the Gross and the Grotesque  Fashion as a Means of Communication  How MycoWorks Creates Reishi™ Fine Mycelium Leather  Mycelium Sheet Polymer & Leathercraft Learning Curves  Scaling Up to the Future of MycoWorks  The Transformation of Phil Ross  Future of Mycelium Materials   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Mycoworks website: https://www.mycoworks.com/  Mycoworks IG: https://www.instagram.com/mycoworks/  Louis Pasteur: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur  Claude Levi-Strauss "The Raw and the Cooked": https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Cooked-Mythologiques-Claude-L%C3%A9vi-Strauss/dp/0226474879  Rudy Rucker "Ware Tetralogy": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ware_TetralogyCarl Woese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Woese  Susan Oyama "Evolution's Eye": https://www.amazon.com/Evolutions-Eye-Systems-Biology-Culture-Cultural/dp/0822324725  Ganoderma lucidum (fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_lucidum   Lenzites betulina (fungus): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/lenzites_betulina.html

Today on the Mushroom Hour we are excited to have the chance to learn from Ja Schindler. Ja is a fungi researcher/ teacher/ activist/ farmer based in the Southeast Cascade Mountains of Oregon on traditional lands of the Kalapooya peoples. Motivated by desires to challenge issues of environmental injustice, Ja founded Fungi For the People in 2010, which serves as an outlet for collaboratively developing appropriate methods for cultivating and problem solving with people and fungi. As a hands-on cultivator and community organizer he is a focal point of the inspiring community science movement. I can’t wait to hear his take on the role community mycology can play in empowering people and helping us develop a more balanced relationship with our environment.   TOPICS COVERED:   Early Inspirations from the “Rebound Ecology” of Detroit   Moving West, Working with Applied Mycology   Community Evolution of Fungi for the People   Ecological Restoration & Mycoremediation   Impact of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae    Advantages of Site-Based Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi   Bioremediation Work in Contaminated Mining Sites   Advice on “Skilling Up” for Bioremediation Projects   Background on the EPA and How it Works   How EPA Regulates & Facilitates Environmental Cleanups   Engaging with Institutional & Regulatory Frameworks     Working with Ectomycorrhizal and Endomycorrhizal Fungi at Home   Decentralized Future of Medicinal Mushroom Cultivation   Impact and Upside of a Parkinson’s Diagnosis   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Fungi for the People Website: https://fungiforthepeople.org/   Fungi for the People FB: https://www.facebook.com/FungiForThePeople   Fungi for the People IG: https://www.instagram.com/fungiforthepeople/   EPA "CLU-IN" Resource: https://clu-in.org/   "Mycoremediation: Fungal Bioremediation" (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mycoremediation-Fungal-Bioremediation-Harbhajan-Singh/dp/047175501X    Fomitopsis pinicola (Fungus): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/fomitopsis_pinicola.html

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the privilege of speaking with Courtney Tyler. Courtney is the founder of Hips and Haws Wildcrafts, based in the Wicklow mountains of Ireland. Hips and Haws is a project all about wild food, fermentation, folk herbalism, fungi, foraging and wildcrafting- which is making food or medicine from plants and mushrooms sourced from the wild.  She is a keen forager and spends much time wandering the hedgerows and forests of Ireland, searching for wild edibles to preserve as food or medicine or to add to her collection of fermented food and drinks. She passes her knowledge on through her foraging walks and tours, workshops, crafting and recipes. Her passion, knowledge, and her clarity in explaining and sharing her excitement inspires us to re-kindle our connection to the wild around and within us.   TOPICS COVERED:   Modernity Fatigue, Seeking Connection & Escaping to Nature  Finding Solace in Herbalism & Natural Medicine  Developing a Connection to Ireland in the Wilds of Wicklow   Foraging as a Physical & Spiritual Practice   Forage Seasons in Ireland   Resurgence of Wild Food Appreciation   Forest Composition in Ireland   Sitka Spruce Plantations & Groves of Porcini   Amanita muscaria Culinary & Medicinal Uses   Destigmatizing Amanita muscaria   Woodland Wizard Fergus Drennan   Creative Preparations of Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms   Magic of Koji   Future Vanlife Adventures   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Hips & Haws Website: https://www.hipsandhaws.com/   H&H Wildcrafts IG: https://www.instagram.com/hipsandhawswildcrafts/   H&H Wildcrafts FB: https://www.facebook.com/hipsandhawswildcrafts/   Wicklow County Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicklow   Amanita muscaria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria   Fomitopsis betulina (Birch Polypore): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomitopsis_betulina   Inonotus obliquus (Chaga): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inonotus_obliquus   Fergus Drennan: https://www.instagram.com/fergustheforager/   

Thea Chesney is a lifelong Sierra Nevada foothill resident and naturalist. She has had an interest in mushrooms (and plants, and the rest of the natural world) since early childhood, which gradually became an obsession. She holds a B.S. in forestry from UC Berkeley, with an emphasis in botany and natural sciences. During her time at Berkeley, she spent plenty of time working and hanging out in the Berkeley mycology labs and continues to return to campus to provide specimens for and aid in teaching their mushroom ID course. She worked on a mushroom survey crew for the U.S. Forest Service around Mt. Shasta for several seasons, which allowed her to become intimately familiar with the fungal inhabitants and ecology of the area. Since then, she has continued with the Forest Service as a botanist for a long-term California-wide meadow monitoring project. She teaches occasional workshops in mushroom and plant identification, both for work and independently. She has also been involved with the California Rare Fungi Working Group since its inception. Her fieldwork and her own studies of plants and fungi are centered in the Sierra Nevada and other mountains of California, and she is currently working on a field guide to mushrooms of these understudied regions with Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz.   TOPICS COVERED:   Mycology Lineage & Childhood Immersion in Nature  Underexplored Mountain Ranges of California  Diversity of Bioregions in Mountain Ranges  Mycorrhizal Mushrooms & Tree Hosts  Montane Water Cycles, Plant Ecology & Fungal Diversity  High Meadows Ecosystems & Their Mushrooms  California Rare Fungi Working Group  The Future of Documenting Fungal Diversity  Fire-Following Fungi  Morel Habitat & Ecology in California  Tips for Finding Morels  Thea’s Lifelong Connection to the Sierras  Klamath Mountains – The Most Biodiverse Pocket of California?!  Future Work with Christian Schwarz & Noah Siegel  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Thea Chesney iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/theachesney   Thea's Talk on Fire Fungi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V9Irj0GtTE   Thea's Talk on Mycorrhizal Fungi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PISk9C6FAds   Prof. Ralph Emerson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Emerson_(botanist)   Klamath Mountains: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klamath_Mountains   Rare Fungi of CA National Forests: https://www.scribd.com/document/432145073/Rare-Fungi-of-California-National-Forests   William Bridge Cooke: https://www.mykoweb.com/articles/PDF/William%20Bridge%20Cooke,%201908-1991.pdf   Caloscypha fulgens (fungus): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/caloscypha_fulgens.html   Hygrophorus goetzii (fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygrophorus_goetzii

Get Your Tickets for the 1st Oakland Psychedelic Conference:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-psychedelic-conference-tickets-169188460239?ref=eios   Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we are beyond blessed to be joined by three members of Oakland’s own Hyphae Labs, Ian Bollinger, Tomás Garret and Reggie who has joined us on the podcast previously. Inspired by early-life transformative experiences with psilocybin-containing mushrooms, Reggie has had a lifelong passion for mycology and now consults with the largest mushroom cultivators in the world. He is a also member of the Advisory Board for Decriminalize Nature and an avid activist for police reform and an ally of The Movement for Black LivesIan Bollinger is a dedicated researcher, scientist and host of the Understanding Entheogens Podcast.  Advising for harm reduction through education by working with the entheogen decriminalization movement in the SF Bay Area; Ian dedicates his time to churches, non-profits, and public benefit corporations to bring scientific insights from the growing entheogen space to the public through his writings, podcast, and outreachTomás is the head of operations for Hyphae Labs. His background is in analytical chemistry that began with food and drug testing in Wisconsin. He moved to California in 2018 and began pesticide and solvent testing for the cannabis industry.  Over the past few years he has become intertwined like mycelium with the vibrant Oakland psychedelic community.Formed by citizen scientists like these, Hyphae Labs works to connect cultivators and consumers to knowledge, data, and education that supports their community through harm reduction.  They are currently engaged with research around Tryptamine content in entheogenic organisms, providing lab and analytical support for the Psilocybin Cup. I am excited to learn more about their collective, their vision and the upcoming Oakland Psychedelic Conference.   TOPICS COVERED:   Hyphae Connection Between Ian, Tomás and Reggie Mission and Purpose of Hyphae LabsWhy is Testing Entheogenic Compounds Important?Testing Compounds in Psilocybin-Containing Mushrooms Legality of Testing Entheogens in Oakland  Connection Between Testing & Decriminalization  Wading into the Chemistry of Tryptamines  MAOIs in Mushrooms  Effects of Compounds Other than Psilocybin  The Hyphae Potency Spectrum  Inspiration & Goals of the Oakland Psychedelic Conference  Featured Speakers at the Conference  Building Community & Embracing Diversity  Future of Hyphae Labs as Psychedelics Go Mainstream  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Tickets for Oakland Psychedelic Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-psychedelic-conference-tickets-169188460239?ref=eios  Oakland Hyphae: https://www.oaklandhyphae510.com/  Oakland Hyphae IG: https://www.instagram.com/oakland_hyphae/  Ian Bollinger IG: https://www.instagram.com/eyepsychonaut/  Understanding Entheogens with Ian Bollinger: https://www.critical.consulting/blog  Dictyonema (Fungus/Lichen): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictyonema

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we have the distinct privilege of being joined by Dr. Andy Letcher. Dr. Letcher is a writer, performer and scholar of religion who began life as an ecologist, completing his D.Phil in Ecology at Oxford University. After a spell as an environmental activist during the 90s, especially during the anti-roads protests, he moved across to the humanities, completing a PhD at King Alfred’s College Winchester. He is an expert on contemporary alternative spiritualities, especially modern Paganism, neo-shamanism and psychedelic spiritualities. He is especially interested in the tangled and sometimes tortuous relationship between science and spirituality, and in so-called dark green religion. He has written papers on: the distribution of mammals across continents; fairies; mysticism; and psychedelic spirituality. Andy is also the author of the comprehensive work “Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom” that examines enthnomycological research, legends and myths surrounding humanity’s relationship with psychoactive fungi.    TOPICS COVERED:   Ecologies, Environmentalism and Cries to the MoonWhat is Spirituality?Sensory and Cultural Inputs Birthing Religious TraditionsDefining the SelfExploring “Semi-Permeable Self”, “Ecological Self”, “Community Self”Consciousness Fields, Panpsychism & AnimismSymbiosis and SympoiesisAre Psilocybe Mushrooms Guiding Human Culture?Are Psychedelics Going to Save Us from Ourselves?What does a Psychedelic-Informed and Ecologically Self-Aware Society Look Like?How Large a Role did Psychedelics Really Play in Ancient Cultures, Religions, Rites and Secret Societies?Are We Part of the Most Psychedelic and Mycologically Inspired Culture Ever?We are the Mushroom People   Psychedelics in Druidry and Other Future Research   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Andy Letcher Website: http://andy-letcher.blogspot.com/   Andy Letcher Writings: https://independent.academia.edu/AndyLetcher   "Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom": https://www.amazon.com/Shroom-Cultural-History-Magic-Mushroom/dp/0060828293  Schumacher College: https://campus.dartington.org/schumacher-college/   William Blake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake   Victor Turner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Turner   Terence McKenna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_McKenna   Carl Jung: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung   Donna Haraway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Haraway   Huston Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huston_Smith   

Today on Mushroom   Hour we are joined by internationally renowned herbalist Dr. Christopher Hobbs. Dr. Hobbs is a fourth-generation herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, herbal clinician, research scientist, consultant to the dietary supplement industry, expert witness, botanist and mycologist with over 35 years of experience. He is also a prolific writer and has authored or co-authored over 20 books, including the new “Christopher Hobbs’s Medicinal Mushrooms, the Essential Guide.” Christopher has lectured on herbal medicine world-wide. He earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley with research and publication in evolutionary biology, biogeography, phylogenetics, plant chemistry, and ethnobotany. Time to dive deep into medicinal mushrooms!   TOPICS COVERED:   Embracing Generational Tradition of Herbalism in a World of Toxic Notions  Discovering Mushrooms in the 1970s  Herbalist World View  Elevating Consciousness  Allying with Plant & Mushroom Spirits  Importance of Spiritual Wellbeing  What is Medicine?  Chemistry of Medicinal Mushrooms and the Immune System  One of Medicinal Mushrooms Biggest Benefits - Fiber  Effects of Beta Glucans & Ancient Receptors in the Body  Secrets of Medicinal Mushroom Products  Starch Testing our Mushroom Powders  Healing Powers of Reishi  Why Do We Put Up With It?  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Christopher Hobbs' Website:  https://www.christopherhobbs.com/  Christopher Hobb's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchristopherhobbs/  Christopher Hobb's IG: https://www.instagram.com/christopherhobbs1/?hl=en  "Christopher Hobbs' Essential Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms": https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Hobbss-Medicinal-Mushrooms-Consciousness/dp/1635861675/  "A Modern Herbal": https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Herbal-Complete-Margaret-Grieve/dp/1626542236/  "Back to Eden": https://www.amazon.com/Back-Eden-Jethro-Kloss/dp/0940985101/  Dr. Edward Shook: https://www.biblio.com/edward-e-shook/author/587245  Dr. John Christopher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Christopher_(herbalist)  Dr. Michael Tierra: https://planetherbs.com/owners/dr-michael-tierra-l-ac-o-m-d/  Ed Smith: https://m.facebook.com/herbal.ed  Susun Weed: http://www.susunweed.com/  Rosemary Gladstar: https://scienceandartofherbalism.com/  Reishi (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_(mushroom)  Boletus edulis (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we are joined by Bryce Alex, Doctoral Student at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Bryce is originally from Utah and he spent time working as a graduate student and Masters Candidate in the legendary Dentinger Lab at the University of Utah. His mycological research work has involved important players when it comes to fungal ecology that are largely invisible and many of us may have never heard of. He has worked on projects involving metabarcoding fungal propagules carried on bird feathers and mining transcriptomic datasets for hidden mycoviruses. He began his PhD in Plant Pathology at University of Wisconsin Madison in Fall 2020. I am excited for him to share his expertise with the emerging field of mycoviruses and how they relate to fungal, plant and even animal populations.   TOPICS COVERED:    Entering the World of Mycology by Chance  Research in Legendary Dentinger Lab  What is a Mycovirus?  How do Mycoviruses Effect Their Hosts?  Hypovirulence in Pathogenic Fungi  Cryphonectria parasitica  Mycovirus Transference to Plants & Animals?  Agaricus bisporous Dieback Disease   Theories on Origins and Evolution of Mycoviruses  Changing Paradigm of Virology  Bryce’s Current PhD Research  Advice for Pursuing Academic Mycology  Embracing the Mycology Community  Future of Bryce’s Work  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Bryce Alex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-alex-5799b8169   UW-Madison Rakotondrafara Lab: https://rakotondrafaralab.russell.wisc.edu/   Utah Dentinger Lab: https://www.biology.utah.edu/faculty/bryn-dentinger/   Cryphonectria parasitica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut_blight   "50-Plus Years of Fungal Viruses": https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25771805/   "Five Questions About Mycoviruses": https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005172   "Mycoviruses of filamentous fungi and their relevance to plant pathology": https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1364-3703.2008.00503.x   

Today on Mushroom Hour we have are graced by the presence of Bill Sheehan PhD and Gabriela D’Elia of the Fungal Diversity Survey - also known as FunDiS. Bill Sheehan is the co-founder and president of FunDiS and  Gabriela is currently FunDiS Deep Funga Blog Editor. FunDiS aims to increase scientific knowledge and public awareness of the critical role of fungi in the health of our ecosystems and to better utilize and protect them in a world of rapid climate change and habitat loss. They do this by equipping community scientists, working with professionals, with the reporting tools to document the diversity and distribution of fungi across North America.Bill spent most of his career starting and running two national environmental policy nonprofits. Around the time he was getting ready to retire he reconnected with his love of natural history through a fascination with fungi. Combining his experience running nonprofits with his scientific training and an appreciation for the power of grassroots action, FunDiS unites several mycelial strands of his life.Gabriela first noticed the marvelous mushrooms while she was walking around Seattle, WA. After studying fungal ecology at school there, Gabriela embraced a perspective of Holistic Mycology, which views fungi as ecology, medicine, language, ancestor, and philosophy. Gabriela is leader of the FunDiS local project, Northern Utah Funga Community Science; V.P. of the Mushroom Society of Utah; and founder of Moon Mushrooms, which focuses on mycology education and crafting tiny batch tinctures.  TOPICS COVERED: How Bill and Gabriela came to FunDiS  Origins of FunDiS   Evolution from North American Mycoflora Project  Importance of Mapping Fungal Diversity  Undiscovered Diversity all Around the US  Amateurs Leading the Way in Biodiversity Studies  iNaturalist and Mushroom Observer  Genetic Sequencing  Biodiversity Data Feeding Conservation Efforts  Rising Awareness of Fungi in Conservation Efforts  Rare Fungi Challenges  How to Participate in FunDiS Diversity Surveys  How to Volunteer and Support FunDiSFuture of FunDiS, Community Mycology & Biodiversity Data  EPISODE RESOURCES:FunDiS Website: https://fundis.org/   FunDiS IG: https://www.instagram.com/fungaldiversitysurvey/   FunDiS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fungaldiversitysurvey   iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/  Mushroom Observer: https://mushroomobserver.org/   Pachycudonia spathulata: https://fundis.org/images/PDF/Pachycudonia-spathulata_trifold-web.pdf   Dictyocephalos attenuatus: https://fundis.org/images/PDF/Dictyocephalos-attenuatus_trifold-web.pdf   Pholiota nubigena (Bubblegum fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholiota_nubigena   Bubblegum Fungus Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOa2ECym254Tricholomopsis rutilans (Plums and Custard Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricholomopsis_rutilans   

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we have the privilege of speaking with Brian Perry PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at California State University, East Bay. He received his Master's Degree from San Francisco State University under the guidance of Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University where he studied with Dr. Donald H. Pfister. Brian has been studying fungi since 1995, and has published over 45 papers in scientific journals. In addition to studying the evolution of fungal bioluminescence, he also conducts research on mushrooms and other fungi of Vanuatu, the assembly and biogeography of island fungal communities, endophytic fungi of Hawaiian plants, and the systematics of Mycena and allied genera. Brian teaches several mycology courses at Cal State East Bay and the Sierra Nevada Field Campus, and recently launched a Sierra Nevada Mycoflora project.   TOPICS COVERED:   Raised with an Appreciation for Nature  Mycological Influence of Dr. Dennis Desjardin  Why Do Some Mushrooms Glow?  Exploring Evolution of Fungal Bioluminescence  Biochemistry of Bioluminescence  Biology & Ecological Roles of Endophytic Fungi  Applied Use of Endophytes  Fungal Ecology of Tropical Islands  Research in Vanuatu  Vanuatu’s Indigenous Culture  Ethnomycology Among Vanuatu’s Indigenous Peoples  Tropical Island Phylogeography & Biogeography  Biogeographical Mysteries  Rise of Citizen Mycologists  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Dr. Brian Perry Website: https://www.perrymycolab.com/CSU East Bay Website: https://www.csueastbay.edu/directory/profiles/biol/perrybrian.htmlProf. Dennis Desjardin: https://biology.sfsu.edu/faculty/desjardinMetrosideros polymorpha (plant species): https://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/met-poly.htm   Blue Coprinopsis (fungi): https://steveaxford.smugmug.com/Fungi/Basidiomycetes/Coprinoid-fungi/Blue-Coprinopsis/   Schizophyllum commune (fungi): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/schizophyllum_commune.html   Coprinellus disseminatus (fungi): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/coprinellus_disseminatus.html   Mycena californiensis (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_californiensis