The Mushroom Hour Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 112: Making Music with Mushrooms - Transcription of Bioelectric Action Potentials (Michael Allen Z Prime) Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

For more than two decades, Michael Allen Z Prime has pioneered the art of making music in collaboration with plants and fungi. His albums: L-Fields, One Hour As Peyote, Borneo, and The Ascent Of Sap were the first to be made in collaboration with the bioelectrical fields of plants and fungi. In his work, the fluctuations in pitch and rhythm that you hear directly follow the fluctuations of the bioelectrical fields of the organisms he is working with. Michael has presented his plant and fungal sound installations at venues around the world, including The Mendel Museum (Brno), the NTT InterCommunication Center (Tokyo), the Halles de Schaarbeek (Brussels), the Arnolfini Gallery (Bristol), the Centre for Experimental and Improvised Music (Madrid), and the old Franciscan Abbey on Sherkin Island (Ireland). His recordings of fungi have also been featured on the BBC. Michael is also a qualified ecologist, and his work in that field led him to establish the Comillane Gardens botanical gardens and nature reserve on Cape Clear Island, 10 miles south of the Irish mainland.
TOPICS COVERED:

Early Explorations of Electroacoustic Music & Mycology
Translating the Bio-Electrical Activity of Organisms into Sound
Different Approaches to Translate Biodata from Organisms
Audio Translation of Electrical Resistance vs Bioelectrical Action Potentials
What Does Sound Coming from Mushrooms Tell Us?
Acoustic Differences Between Day and Nights Cycles of Fungi
Does Translating Bioelectrical Activity Also Us to Communicate with Other Organisms?
Bioactivity Translation Equipment
Michael's Mushroom Sound Exhibitions
Different Sounds of Mushrooms Indoors vs Outdoors
Differences in Sounds Between Mushroom Species
Understanding Bioactivity as Future of Understanding Fungal Networks
Demonstration Transcribing Bioelectrical Action Potentials of Mushrooms into Sound
Upcoming Projects and Collaborations

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Michael Prime Bandcamp: https://michaelallenzprime.bandcamp.com/music
Michael Prime Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSX2bfcI0BR-phhw1DGH7JA
Tony Bassett (only reference we could find): http://www.fsr.org.uk/spi/spibass1.htm
Merlin Sheldrake: https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/
Peziza repanda (fungus): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/peziza_repanda.html
Laricifomes officinalis (AKA Agarikon mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laricifomes_officinalis
Macrolepiota procera (AKA Parasol mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrolepiota_procera

Ep. 111: Mushroom Safaris in Wales & Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Foraging (feat. Daniel Butler) Feb 13, 2022

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we have are honored to be joined by Welsh wild food expert Daniel Butler. Daniel is an environmental writer and wild food enthusiast, starting as a boy with ferreted rabbits and moving on to herbs and mushrooms in his 20s. He leads guided hedgerow and fungal forays from his Welsh smallholding through the summer and autumn. Writing extensively on issues of foraging as a source of free food Daniel aims to demystify edible plants and fungi to make them accessible to all. I’m excited to learn more about foraging in the Welsh countryside, how wild foods can add new dimensions to our lives and even the legal and conservation aspects foragers consider as we enjoy the wild harvest.
TOPICS COVERED:

Moving to the Country, Discovering Mushrooms
Anglo-Saxon Mycophobia
Fungal Edibility & Toxicity in Perspective
Environmental Conservation in the UK
Property Rights in the UK
“The Charter of the Forest” More Influential than Magna Carta?
How Foraging Benefits Conservation Efforts
Cultural Influences on Foraging in the UK, Continental Europe and America
Mushroom Foraging Seasons in the UK
Exploring the Biodiversity of Elan Valley in Wales
Clashes with Authority in UK Forests
Bringing Together Conservation Authorities and Foraging Culture
Building Back Connection with the Land
Gift of Educating Others About Wild Mushrooms

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Daniel Butler Website: https://www.fungiforays.co.uk/
Elan Valley, Wales: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elan_Valley
"Charter of the Forest": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_Forest
Northern Goshawk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_goshawk
Calocybe gamose (AKA St. George's Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calocybe_gambosa
Boletus edulis (AKA Porcini Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis
Craterellus cornucopioides (AKA Black Trumpet Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craterellus_cornucopioides

Ep. 110: Melanated Fungi - Protecting from Radioactivity & Surviving Extreme Conditions (feat. Dr. Ekaterina Dadachova) Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Ekaterina Dadachova. Dr. Dadachova is a Professor of Pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and the Fedoruk Centre for Nuclear Innovation Chair in Radiopharmacy. Before joining University of Saskatchewan, she was a Professor of Radiology, Microbiology and Immunology in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, USA, where she was also Sylvia and Robert S. Olnick Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research. She received her PhD in Physical Chemistry from Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia, in 1992, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in radiopharmaceutical chemistry at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization in Sydney, Australia. Dadachova’s laboratory has pioneered the treatment of infectious diseases including fungal and bacterial infections and HIV with radiolabeled antibodies (so called radioimmunotherapy). Her other research interests are radioimmunotherapy of melanoma, blood cancers and osteosarcoma as well as the development of melanin-based radioprotectors for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, soldiers on the battlefield and astronauts in space.
TOPICS COVERED:

Research Pathways of Melanin, Melanoma and Fungi Coming Together
Black Fungi in Soil Surrounding Chernobyl
Melanin in Fungi
Basics of Radiation and Types of Radioactive Particles
Fungi in Outer Space
How Fungi Use Melanin to Protect Themselves Against Ionizing Radiation
Fungi Surviving in Antarctica
Melanated Fungi Harvesting Radiation
Radiotropism
Applied Technologies for Radiation Protection from Melanized Fungi
The Power of Eating Melanized Mushrooms
Radioimmunotherapy
Radiopharmaceuticals
Future Research & Applications

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Dr. Ekaterina Dadachova Academic Website: https://pharmacy-nutrition.usask.ca/profiles/kate-dadachova.php#Bio
Dr. Ekaterina Dadachova Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=A6Ud3q0AAAAJ&hl=en
Cryptococcus neoformans (fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptococcus_neoformans
Cryptococcus antarcticus (fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptococcus_antarcticus
Auricularia judae (fungis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_auricula-judae

Ep. 109: Integrated Land Enhancement & Applied Mycology (feat. Leif Olson) Jan 23, 2022

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the incredible opportunity to speak with Integrated Land Enhancement found Leif Olson. A native of the western North Carolina mountains, Leif grew up with a deep sense of connection and appreciation for nature. Early on this relationship was primarily through a creative and imaginative lens, but after over a decade of researching and working in ecology, chemistry, mycology, landscaping and sustainable agriculture he now works to study and improve the natural world with an interdisciplinary approach. After receiving a Bachelor's of Science in Ecology from University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master of Environmental Management in Ecotoxicology at Duke University, Leif spent the following years becoming versed in the rapidly emerging fields of applied mycology and soil biology. Though it may be unbeknownst to many, we are currently living in a renaissance of knowledge for understanding the processes and interconnectivity of nature. What a great opportunity to learn from a hands-on expert about how we can leverage our emerging understanding of plants, fungi, microorganisms, nutrients, water and more to enhance the resiliency, fertility and productivity of our landscapes.
TOPICS COVERED:

Childhood in Nature, Studying Ecology, Mycelium Running
Environmental Conditions Bioremediation Can Address
Unbounded Ability of Natural Organisms
Benefits of Fungi to the Environment
Chemistry of Fungal Decomposition & Ligninolytic Enzymes
Interactions Between Fungi, Bacteria Virsuses and More in Soil
Technology in Applied Mycology
Contaminant Removal – Organic, Inorganic, Pathogens
Engineering & Implementing Bioremediation Projects
Real-World Examples of Bioremediation Projects
Geomycology & Biogeochemistry
Evolution of Environmental Institutions & Regulatory Frameworks
All groups of Fungi Can Break Down Contaminants?
Advice in Pursuing Bioremediation Projects

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Integrated Land Enhancement: https://integratedlandenhancement.com/
Applied Mycology Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/appliedmycology/
Fungi for the People: https://fungiforthepeople.org/
Mushroom Mountain: https://mushroommountain.com/
Lentinus tigrinus (AKA Tiger Sawgill Mushroom): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/lentinus_tigrinus.html
Hericium erinaceus (AKA Lions Mane): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/hericium_erinaceus.html

Ep. 108: Mushrooms of Cascadia, Mentoring Stamets & the Promise of Psilocybe (feat. Prof. Michael Beug) Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed by the presence of the illustrious Dr. Michael Beug. Dr. Beug taught chemistry, mycology and organic farming at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington for 32 years. He lectures to mushroom enthusiasts throughout the Western US and loves to teach beginners workshops. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) where he serves as Editor of the Journal McIlvainea, Chair of the Toxicology Committee, and member of the Education Committee. Michael has served four terms as President of The Pacific Northwest Key Council, a group dedicated to writing macroscopic keys for the identification of fungi. His specialties are the genus Ramaria and all toxic and hallucinogenic mushrooms. He is also doing research on oak-associated fungi of the Columbia River Gorge, especially Cortinarius species. His newest book is Mushrooms of Cascadia and he regularly writes about mushrooms in McIlvainea, The Mycophile, Fungi, and Mushroom: The Journal of Wild Mushrooming and he somehow finds the time to be on the editorial board of Fungi magazine. I’m excited to learn from this master mycology educator about the past, present and future of mushrooms.
TOPICS COVERED:

Early Career at Evergreen & Becoming a Mycologist
DDT Controversy, Research into PCBs and Heavy Metals
Multidisciplinary Teaching Career and Collaboration at Evergreen College
Paul Stamets Jeremy Bigwood & Jonathan Ott Introduce Psilocybe
Being Paul Stamets’ Professor & Friend
Modern Psilocybin History from Wasson, Leary & Alpert to Recent Decriminalization
Evolution of Academic Mycology
Importance of Amateur Naturalists in Mycology
Global Political Theory & Creating Positive Change
Averting Disaster, Listening to Nature
Rise of Mushroom Culture
Psilocybin, Empathy & Hope
Mushrooms of Cascadia & Next Book on Regenerative Design
Trippy Tales featuring Mushroom Legends at Brightenbush

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Mushrooms of Cascadia Website: https://www.mushroomsofcascadia.com/
Mushrooms of Cascadia Book: https://fungi.com/products/mushrooms-of-cascadia
Columbia River Gorge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge
North American Mycological Association: https://namyco.org/
Fungi Magazine: https://www.fungimag.com/
Pacific Northwest Key Council: https://www.svims.ca/council/
MycoMatch: https://www.mycomatch.com/index.htm
Hericium erinaceus (AKA Lions Mane): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
Trametes versicolor (AKA Turkey Tail): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor

Ep. 107: Lingzhi Girl - Uniting East & West, Nature & Modernity, Death & Immortality (feat. Xiaojing Yan) Jan 02, 2022

Show notes

Xiaojing Yan is a Canadian artist whose work embraces the combination of her Chinese roots and education at Nanjing Arts Institute (B.F.A., 2000) with higher education at George Brown College in Toronto (2004) and an M.F.A. in sculpture at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2007). Her unique point of view brings together the past and the present, encompasses culture and nature, art and science. Yan is a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Project Grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, the Chalmers Arts Fellowship, Mid-career Grants from Ontario Arts Council, and many more. Most recently, she has had solo shows at Maison Hermès, Shanghai, China, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON, Canada, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC, Canada and Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, ON, Canada. Yan has also completed public art projects and commissions in Canada and China including her 2018 installation Cloudscape at the Royal Ontario Museum and 2019 Window display "Into the Dream" for Maison Hermès. It’s my pleasure to learn more about the unique ethos behind her art and her intimate relationship with reishi mushroom, also known as lingzhi.
TOPICS COVERED:

Following the Artists' Path from China to Canada
Engaging Space in Creating Art
Inspiration from Chinese Mythologies, Stories and Iconographies
Connection to Nature in Eastern and Western Cultures
Forces of Modernization Reshaping Relationships with Nature
Rise of the “Moderners”
Weighing Human Progress and Environmental Homeostasis
Imbuing Art with Meaning Before and After Creation
Pearls and Cicadas used to make Sculptures
Roles of Artists in Communicating Balance in Nature
Making Art with Lingzhi AKA Reishi
Chinese Culture and the Mushroom of Immortality
Cocreating Art with Nature
Rise of Mycelium in Art and Design

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Xiaojing Yan Website: https://yanxiaojing.com/
Xiaojing Yan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xiaojing.yan.studio/?hl=en
Lingzhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_(mushroom)
"Scholar's Stone": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongshi
"Classic of Mountains and Seas": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas

Ep. 106: Truffle Hunting, Raising a Truffle Dog & Managing Truffle Forests (feat. Melissa Waddingham) Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we are graced by the presence of Melissa Waddingham founder of Truffle and Mushroom Hunter. As a professional truffle hunter, Melissa respectfully and sustainably searches for truffles with her trained canine companions. She has studied forestry and woodland management and exudes a passion for woodlands and their association with mushrooms and truffles. Her work has given her a reverence for the delicate truffle woodland ecology and its sustainability. It is a rare environment crucial for not only her beloved truffles, but also the well-being of trees in areas of poor nutrients. In pursuing this work, Melissa has created a mushroom and truffle foraging business where she does it all - training truffle hounds, leading truffle hunting courses, performing woodland surveys in search of truffle presence or potential and collaborating with landowners to nurture environments for truffle cultivation.
TOPICS COVERED:

Introduction to Fungi Through the Stomach
Discovering Truffles
Truffle Habitat - England vs Portugal
Truffle Clues & Aromas
Engaging the Senses
Ecology & Life of Truffles
Special Relationship with a Truffle Dog
What Types of Dogs can Hunt Truffles?
Traits of Good Truffle Dogs
Training a Truffle Dog
Learning the Language of Your Truffle Dog
Advice for Beginning the Truffle Hunting Journey
Surveying Forests for Truffles
Truffle Cultivation Industry

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Truffle & Mushroom Hunter Website: https://truffleandmushroomhunter.com/
Truffle & Mushroom Hunter FB: https://www.facebook.com/truffleandmushroomhunter/
Truffle & Mushroom Hunter IG: https://www.instagram.com/truffleandmushroomhunter/
Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian Truffle Hunting Dog): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagotto_Romagnolo
Ian Hall: http://www.trufflesandmushrooms.co.nz/
Amanita caesarea (Fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_caesarea

Ep. 105: Alchemi, Amycel & Monterey Mushrooms - Mushroom Medicine, Fungal Genetics & Agaricus Farming (feat. Amir Karian) Dec 12, 2021

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by generational mushroom cultivator and medicinal mushroom alchemist Amir Karian. Amir grew up in a family of mushroom farmers who own and operate one of America’s largest mushroom farms in Monterey Mushrooms and one of the largest mushroom spawn production companies called Amycel. But Amir’s passion for mycology truly began when a journey of personal healing taught him first hand the power of medicinal mushrooms. He was compelled to share with others and being a part of a family of farmers was a blessing he couldn't overlook. He spent the next several years utilizing all of the experience and knowledge of mushroom farming that had been perfected over generations to research, develop, and grow the highest quality medicinal mushroom supplements - thus Alchemi Mushrooms was born. The driving ethos behind Alchemi’s medicinal mushroom products is: "if it's not good enough to give to our families, we won't sell it." I’m excited to learn about mushroom cultivation, medicine and more from someone who has mushrooms encoded in their DNA
TOPICS COVERED:

Generational Mushroom Farmer Discovers Medicinal Mushrooms
Decentralization & Consolidation in the Mushroom Industry
Monterey Mushrooms & Amycel
Breeding and Selecting Mushroom Genetics
Mushroom Mutations
Role of Large Agaricus Farms in Medicinal Mushroom Cultivation
The Birth of Alchemi Mushrooms & Monterey Neutraceuticals
Medicinal Benefits of Mushroom Mycelium & Fruit Bodies
Medicinal Mushroom Unknown Unknowns
Chitin & Polysaccharides in Mushroom Cell Walls
Alchemi Mushrooms Product Line
Cultivating Chaga
Innovation and Growth of the Mushroom Cultivation Industry
Advice for Mushroom Cultivators

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Alchemi Mushrooms Website: https://alchemimushrooms.com/Mushroomhour
Monterey Mushrooms Website: https://www.montereymushrooms.com/
Amycel Website: https://www.amycel.com/
Agaricus blazei: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_subrufescens
Lignosus rhinocerus "Tiger Milk Mushroom": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignosus_rhinocerus
Cordyceps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

Ep. 104: Wild Food Year - Mushrooms, Herbalism, Plant Wisdom & the Inner Universe (feat. Monica Wilde) Dec 04, 2021

Show notes

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the privilege of speaking with Monica Wilde. Monica is a forager, research herbalist and ethnobotanist. She lives in Scotland in a self-built wooden house on 4 organic acres where she is encouraging the growth of medicinal and foraging species to create a wild, teaching garden. She is also a Research Herbalist specializing in Lyme disease & co-infections, and a Fellow of the Linnean Society. Monica holds a Master’s degree in Herbal Medicine, she is a Member of the Association of Forager and a Member of the British Mycological Society. I’m excited to learn from someone who embodies such deep natural wisdom on how to nourish both our bodies and Gaia through wild food and wild medicine.
TOPICS COVERED:

Childhood in Kenya & Connection to the Wild
Disconnection in Post-WWII Western Society
The Wisdom of Plants
The Language & Biosemiotics of Plants
Tenets of Herbalism
Ancient Roots of Herbalism
Herbalism and Pharmaceuticals
Money as a Religion
The Body as a Collection of Microbiomes
Understanding Lyme Disease
Shepherding Wild Plants & Mushrooms
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Reciprocity with the Natural World
Lessons Learned from a Wild Food Diet

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Monica Wilde Website: https://monicawilde.com/
Monica Wilde Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicawilde
Monica Wilde IG: https://www.instagram.com/monicawilde/
Wild Medicine Substack: https://wildmedicine.substack.com/
Napiers Herbalists: https://napiers.net/
Monascus purpureus (Red Rice Yeast): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monascus_purpureus
Heracleum sphondylium (Common Hogweed): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracleum_sphondylium
Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant Hogweed): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracleum_mantegazzianum
Zach Bush: https://zachbushmd.com/
Lyme Disease: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
Łukasz Łuczaj: http://thewildfood.org/
Pilosella officinarum (Mouse Ear Hawkweed): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilosella_officinarum
Association of Foragers: https://foragers-association.org/
Ganoderma applanatum (Artist Conk): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_applanatum

Ep. 103: Exploring Fungal Taxonomy, Phylogeny & the Future of Conservation (feat. Else Vellinga) Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we are honored to be joined by Else Vellinga. In her career as a mycologist, Else has described 22 new mushroom species in California. Her most recent work is at the University and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley, and at UCSF, on the Microfungi Collections Digitization project. She received her training at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, and earned her PhD at the University of Leiden (layden). Additionally, Else is a researcher and professor with the Bruns Laboratory at UC Berkeley. The main motivation for her taxonomic work is that it lays the basis for efforts to include mushroom species in nature management and conservation plans. She has proposed several species for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global database of endangered species. She concentrates especially on Lepiotas, or Parasol mushrooms. Else is an avid knitter and uses mushroom dyed yarn for her creations.
TOPICS COVERED:

Growing up in Netherlands Wilderness
What are Scientific Names Based On?
Importance of Physical Features
Impact of DNA Sequences on Taxonomy
ITS, Multiple Gene Sequence and Whole Genome Phylogenetic Information
Monophyletic vs Paraphyletic Genera
What is Sufficient Difference to Make a New Taxonomic Grouping?
Relationship Between Genera and Clades
How are Names Selected? Does There Need to be a Consensus?
Process of Naming a Species
Potential Taxonomic Shakeups
Fungal Conservation
Fungal Diversity Survey
Official State Mushrooms
Education, Outreach and Awareness Central to Conservation Efforts

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Else Vellinga ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Else-Vellinga
University and Jepson Herbaria: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/
National Herbarium of the Netherlands: https://plants.jstor.org/partner/NHN
Bruns Laboratory: https://nature.berkeley.edu/brunslab/
IUCN Fungi List: https://www.iucn.org/commissions/ssc-groups/plants-fungi/fungi
Global Fungal Redlist Initiative: http://iucn.ekoo.se/en/iucn/welcome
Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDiS): https://fundis.org/
Lepiota (Fungal Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepiota
Entoloma (Fungal Genus): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/entoloma.html
Cryptomarasmius (Fungal Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomarasmius

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