Mushroom Marvels at Wageningen Student Farm - by Ruben

We are a mycorrhiza. We are them and they are us.
At Wageningen Student Farm (WSF in short), agroecology is practised by a community of students. Through this practice, we hope to open up to a more-than-human view on farming. A view that questions us to ask: How can Mushroom and Mycelium be invited to the community?

Opening: In the opening at Wageningen Student Farm, we started the day by connecting ourselves to each other, the field and the mushrooms through a yarn thread (acting as mycelium). We said our names, pronouns, a tree we like and a sentence about what already marvels us about mushrooms. As Merlin Sheldrake noted, mushrooms and mycelium open up many (previously) individualised and boxed conceptions of life. We hoped this start formed a nice first touch.

Workshops and Relaxation: During the workshops, we learned more about the anatomy of mushrooms and studied them through a microscope. We also did some spore printing inside. Upside down, the mushrooms are put on paper, and when they are willing, they let their spores drop in patterns. The first picture shows a mushroom under a microscope. Unfortunately, I forgot which one we were looking at, but it looks spectacular!

We also did some mushroom mapping, in which we discovered the mushrooms growing around the farm. Quite a lot actually! It was hard to determine all the varieties, but it did help WSF to get started with studying the mushrooms in the field. Besides the mapping, there was also some mushroom storytelling. Participants could sit down with a mushroom they encountered and write a story they want to share.

During our break, we got to eat some delicious vegan mushroom chickpea and coconut soup with salad and bread, while we also cooked shiitake courgette stew with shiitake and herbs from WSF. A marvellous day 😊.

———

Mushroom Marvels in the Forest - by Hunter

On a cloudy autumn day in the Bennekomse Bos forest, 60 eager attendees participated in guided expeditions to discover and learn about the dozens of fungi species that grow along the trails. The walks were led by two passionate and knowledgeable mushroom mavens: Leonard, who is active with the Wageningen Student Farm, and Marius, a recent Master's graduate from Utrecht University.

With their keen eyes and encyclopedic knowledge, Leonard and Marius brought their groups to fungi of interest to explain each one's role in the ecosystem and the conditions in which they need to thrive. For example, the famous (and poisonous!) fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) is a mycorhizal mushroom, forming a symbiotic relationship with certain tree species that inhabit the forest. Meanwhile, the false turkey-tail (Stereum ostrea) is a saprotrophic fungus that feeds on decaying trees. Our two experts also answered any and all questions, especially from curious gourmands who wanted to know which mushrooms were edible and which were toxic (no mushrooms were ingested on the walks!).

The guides also had plenty of help from the attendees themselves, whose prior knowledge of mushrooms and fungal ecology ranged from non-existent to PhD level. One eagle-eyed participant spotted a cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis crispa), a mushroom highly sought after for its use in cooking. Another guest happened upon a very dramatic scene: a cordyceps fungus that had infected a fly and was sprouting out of its body. Because Leonard and Marius took their groups on separate routes, each group had a totally unique experience in which one group saw species of fungi that the other had not. It resulted in very spirited and amusing discussions when the groups reunited, in which attendees from different groups compared what they saw, and shared photos they took on the walk.

 The walks lasted about two hours each and covered quite a bit of distance. In the crisp autumn air, sections of the walk even seemed out of a fairy tale, especially when we were surrounded by the brilliant red fly agarics on one side of the trail and the otherworldly purple hues of the amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) growing on lush green moss on the other.

The mushroom walks in the forest were a beautiful way to learn about autumn ecology and the role of fungi in our ecosystems in the great outdoors, before winter greets us. We would again like to thank Leonard and Marius for sharing their time and knowledge with us!