This week, a friend and I attended a workshop titled Fungi: Friends or Foes of our Forest System at the MacLaren ART Center.

Here, we learned that the very flavourful Honey Mushroom is a foe!

We have, in the past, harvested these tasty morsels with friends, dried them, and enjoyed them in many a yummy dish.

But, it turns out that they are a foe, not a friend of the forest. The good news is that we now feel free to harvest them to our hearts’ content. No more worries about leaving lots behind.

The Honey Mushroom not only grows on dead and decaying wood, but it also feasts on live trees, thereby harming the forest. Fortunately, a rival fungi has been discovered to combat the destruction caused by our little Honey.

🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄 🍄

Another interesting tidbit I learned is that SHOES are now being made from mushrooms!!!!! Yes, SHOES!!!!

Also, BRICKS! Mushrooms, mixed with straw and other like items, are being used to build a more environmentally friendly brick!

Just imagine, for a moment, the third little pig building his house with bricks made of mushrooms. A mushroom brick using the straw from the first little pig’s house as a mix. Then, prehaps having helped himself to sticks from the second little pig’s house to frame the windows and the doors.

Oh my!

How much fun would the big bad wolf have had!

Especially if he loved mushrooms!!!!!