{"id":2559,"date":"2014-04-14T16:16:01","date_gmt":"2014-04-14T20:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northwoodscenter.org\/wordpress\/?p=2559"},"modified":"2016-12-13T19:12:09","modified_gmt":"2016-12-14T00:12:09","slug":"naturalist-notes-winter-mushrooming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northwoodscenter.org\/wordpress\/naturalist-notes-winter-mushrooming\/","title":{"rendered":"Naturalist Notes – Winter Mushrooming"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BeakedCanada Geese, Robins, Song Sparrows, Red Winged Blackbirds\u2026a cacophony of sounds has just\u00a0begun anew here at NorthWoods Stewardship Center. You can almost feel the seeds stirring in the soil,\u00a0and you can definitely taste the sap flowing from our maple trees. (We drink pitchers full of it during\u00a0staff meetings.) There\u2019s a race among staff to find the first magenta-blossoming Beaked Hazelnut bud,\u00a0and I\u2019ve heard plans being hatched for whitewater paddling trips. Every day it feels like spring is offering\u00a0a new spark of life for us to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Incredibly, only a few weeks ago we were strapping on snowshoes to plow through the many\u00a0feet of powdery snow. I am thinking specifically about the two-day Winter Mushrooming event offered\u00a0in March, presented by mycologist Larry Millman. NorthWoods Stewardship Center does a stellar job of\u00a0offering workshops that improve one\u2019s abilities as a naturalist, and this was no exception.<\/p>\n

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The group gathered on the cold, snowy day with our hand lenses ready. There is a surprising\u00a0level of mushroom diversity to check out even in the winter\u2014that is, if you can heft dead logs to inspect\u00a0them. We could not; the snow was still thigh-high. Even limited to shelf mushrooms and crust funguses\u00a0growing on standing dead wood, there was so much to learn!<\/p>\n

\"winterMushroom species that I\u2019d previously lumped into a generic \u201cturkey tails\u201d category have been\u00a0refined, and on future mushroom walks I will be on the lookout for the Mossy Maze Polypore (Cerrena\u00a0unicolor<\/em>) and Purple Toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme<\/em>). The differences become apparent when\u00a0the mushrooms are flipped over and the pore surface is inspected closely. Each species has its own\u00a0distinct characteristics. For instance, the Yellow Turkey Tail (Trametes ochraces<\/em>) had tiny round pores,\u00a0while the Purple Toothed had slightly elongated pores.<\/p>\n

We also explored Birch Polypores (Piptoporus betulinus<\/em>), False Tinder Polypores (Phellinus\u00a0igniarius<\/em>), True Tinder Polypores, (Fomes fomentarius<\/em>), Black Knot Fungus (Apiosporina morbosa<\/em>), Chaga\u00a0(Inonotus obliquus<\/em>) and many more species on our trip. Our appreciation for the fungus kingdom and\u00a0its ecological role increased with each new specimen, as did our curiosity about other fungi. We left the\u00a0workshop motivated to seek out more opportunities to deepen our understanding of the environment.<\/p>\n

As a NorthWoods employee, I know this is just one more positive step in our mission to \u201cEmpower new\u00a0generations to appreciate, understand and wisely use the land through science, education and action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mushrooms aren\u2019t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of spring.\u00a0Personally, I am usually much more focused on hearing Spring Peepers, finding bear tracks, and seeing\u00a0Coltsfoot blooming. This year, however, I will pay more attention, and I\u2019d like to thank Larry Millman and\u00a0NorthWoods for inspiring me to do so.<\/p>\n

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by Anika Klem<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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