Tryon Creek's Fungi Forest

On a chilly Sunday in November, Fort Stevens Park Ranger and mushroom expert Dane Osis paid Tryon Creek a visit. He lead a group discussion and hike focusing on the mushrooms that grow in the park...

Multiple mushroom varieties are happy to share the same living quarters...

The honey mushroom was a group favorite...

Close-up of a bird's nest fungi...

Mushrooms are a source of fascination. They truly are marvels of our world and are in a class all their own (although technically it's called a "kingdom" rather than class, as all living things are organized into large basic groups called kingdoms). We are able to see only the "fruit" of the fungus - the rest of it, the living body, is a web that is generally hidden from view in the soil, wood or other food source. Fungi use many different things for food: Some are decomposers that consume dead organic material like leaves; others consume living organisms, some of which cause disease such as athlete's foot and ringworm. Fungi can also be useful, such as the yeasts that are used to make bread, wine and beer.

Many thanks to Ranger Osis for sharing Tryon Creek's mycological marvels with us!