Fungi and Spring Go Together

Posted by Cindy on July 19, 2011

Spring is the perfect time to find an abundance of fungi because of the cooler temperatures and frequency of damp days. And now that A Fungus Among Us has been re-released with an additional 20 pages of ideas and notebooking reproducibles, it’s the perfect time for studying fungi!

Here’s a glimpse into one of our latest nature walks through a wooded area on our farm. Never fear if you don’t have a farm close by! Fungi can be found virtually anywhere, but they’re especially easy to find as you hike on nature trails, walk through the wooded area of a park, scan mulch in your yard after a rain, or take a walk around your neighborhood keeping your eyes open for trees that aren’t in the best of health.

Unfortunately, the mycelium of any fungi found on a tree grow into the tree and compromise the its health. You can assume the tree is not in perfect health when you find a fungus on it.

You’ll notice that I’m not a fungus identification expert! I’ve scoured my National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms and given my best educated guesses.