Enrich Your Life Through Mushroom Appreciation

It’s a beautiful summer day when you spy something interesting while on a walk. It’s a mushroom, the mysterious organism that is neither plant nor animal.

What you’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the fruiting body of a fungus, the organism that lives just below the surface of the ground or tree bark. You may not realize it, but there’s much here than meets the eye!

From food to medicine, from art to inspiration, humans have been interacting with fungi in a variety of fascinating ways for thousands of years.

The Fascinating Journey of Fungi and Humans (including you!)

Ethnomycology – The study of the use and interaction between fungi and humans.

The purpose of this site is to entertain and inform while celebrating our love of nature and fungi. We’ll explore the science behind these mysterious organisms. We’ll examine the thrill of their unexpected appearance and artistic beauty. Yet best of all, I’ll present you with a ton of fun tips, recipes, and how-to guides in order to get the best out of your interactions with fungi.

There are so many ways to appreciate helpful fungi. Here you’ll find:

A chance to tell your own story. Let the world know about your love of nature and the cool stuff you’ve found!
Free advice on growing your own. Whether using a kit or starting from spore and making your own spawn, cultivation is fun and rewarding. Even a houseplant killer like me can do it!
Recipes for cooking edible species. Visit the various recipes pages for easy ways to include them in your diet.
Information on health support. Many medicinal mushrooms, such as maitake and reishi, have made headlines for their health benefits. Let’s try to cut through the hype and find the best supplements and herbal medications.
Facts on specific types and mushroom identification. Learn where and how to find the tastiest species such as morels and chanterelles. Also learn how to avoid poisonous species such as the false morel and the death cap.
Information on mycorestoration. The world around you benefits from them as well.
Pictures, posters, and other forms of art.

I believe one of the ways to enhance our lives is through a respect and knowledge of the natural world, especially the mycological one. By learning about nature, you learn ways to enhance your personal well being and that of the environment around you.

How to Enjoy This Site

Mushroom Identification - Berkeley's Polypore

Are you a cosmonaut of the microscopic? An adventurer of the outdoors? A lover of delicious food?

Or maybe you’re just like me, a character with an insatiable curiosity about the world around you that has burned since childhood.

Whatever brought you here; you’re sure to find something to suit your fungal fancy. Whether you’re looking for cultivation tips, ideas for using fungi to improve your health, or just some tasty recipes, you’ll find it all here.

This site is divided into a few major sections to make it easier to explore. Ready to join me? Put on your mushroom cap and let’s go!