Fungi

A photo essay.

Not plants and not animals, fungi reside somewhere in between within their own entire kingdom. They are the principal decomposers and recyclers of the natural world. Their mycorrhizal networks form the “Wood Wide Web,” which allows for the communication, nutrient sharing, and numerous other symbiotic associations between trees and other plants. The biodiversity of the fungal kingdom is staggering, estimated at up to 4 million species. Of these, only about 148,000 have been described.

They have nourished our minds, bodies, and souls since we became terrestrial and upright. They help to mitigate, correct, or cure many of the things we do to the world and ourselves. They are the bridges and the bonding agents between different kingdoms, realms, and stages. Plant and animal, physical and spiritual, life and death. And life again. Additionally, I find them as captivatingly beautiful as can be. From bird’s nest, to hair ice, to Devil’s tooth, and then some, here are just a few of my favorite fungi finds.