Mushroom Day - (Earth Day) by Alison Pouliot (Hardcover)

About the Book

"On this mushroom-filled day, ecologist Alison Pouliot tours the world to introduce readers to twenty-four fungi in twenty-four hours. We begin our day with the midnight disco, which is not a late-night dance club, but a rare and threatened fungus. In the early hours, the curious Australian ghost fungus lights our path with its eerie green glow. At dawn, we awaken to find a fairy ring of mushrooms that has appeared overnight. We don't have much time to appreciate this folklore-inspiring sight, as we must reach the Italian forest before other porcino hunters forage the fattest and finest. In the heat of the afternoon, the ripe stench of the stinkhorn will send us out of the woods, while the enticing aroma of the aniseed funnel might lure us back. In the evening, you dine on the common and delicious ink cap mushroom. Just make sure you forgo that whisky nightcap with your tasty ink cap; this fungus contains coprine, a chemical that inhibits humans' ability to break down alcohol with unpleasant consequences. At the end of the day, we'll have glimpsed the diversity of this unique kingdom, met fungus friends that feed and fascinate, and seen how humans can encourage their flourishing. For each hour, celebrated artist Stuart Patience has depicted these scenes with evocative pen and ink illustrations. Working together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Pouliot and Patience have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two-and a true gift for foragers, amateur mycologists, and anyone who wants to stop and appreciate fungi"--

Book Synopsis

An hourly guide that spotlights twenty-four fungus species as they spread spores, find food, and adapt to a changing planet.

On this mushroom-filled day, ecologist Alison Pouliot tours the world to introduce readers to a fascinating variety of fungi. Each chapter of Mushroom Day introduces a single fungus during a single hour, highlighting twenty-four different species.

In the dark of the night, the green glow of the ghost fungus guides us into the forest to learn about the mysteries of bioluminescence. At dawn, we awaken to find a fairy ring of mushrooms that has appeared overnight like something out of folklore. But we don't have much time to linger, as we must reach the Italian forest before other porcino hunters forage the morning's fattest and finest. In the heat of the afternoon, the ripe stench of the stinkhorn might send us out of the woods, while the enticing aroma of the aniseed funnel lures us back in. Late in the evening we spy a fungus known as the witches cauldron and wonder what it might tell us about the future. By the end of our mushroom day, we'll have glimpsed the diversity of this unique kingdom, met fungus friends that feed and fascinate, and learned how humans can encourage their flourishing.

For each hour, celebrated artist Stuart Patience has depicted these scenes with evocative pen and ink illustrations. Working together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Pouliot and Patience have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two--and a true gift for foragers, mycophiles, and anyone who wants to stop and appreciate fungi.

Review Quotes

"Wow! What a cool way to learn about fungi. Each of the twenty-four mushrooms described here is a gateway to an aspect of mycology: lion's mane and cultivation, the ghost fungus and bioluminescence, the veiled polypore and symbiosis. In a style both easygoing and thoughtful, Pouliot delivers enough science to be accurate but not so much that a newbie will stumble--no easy feat. While this book will delight folks at all stages in their fungal journey, it will be especially inviting to those just starting out. And Stuart Patience's graphic illustrations? Simply gorgeous. Mushroom Day is in every way a great addition to any mycophile's library."-- "Eugenia Bone, author of "Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience""

"From the luminous to the ghoulish, the fragrant to the stinky, the tiny to the giant, Pouliot showcases twenty-four very different fungi--often taking the reader to far-flung places across the globe to find habitats where these special fungi live. And no matter the time of day or night, there's a fungus of relevance. Whether fungi are entirely novel to you or you are already a fungus fan, enjoy the adventure of discovering this often-overlooked world, as revealed through this intriguing journey through the second-largest kingdom of life."-- "Peter Buchanan, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research (Aotearoa--New Zealand)"

"Mushroom Day is popular science at its very best--knowledge spiced with passion for the fungal kingdom. The combination of evocative and diverse stories of fungal wonders is captivating."-- "Anders Dahlberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences"

"A feast of fungal wonders and superb drawings. Mushroom Day is a fabulous illustration of symbiosis: between fungi and animals, fungi and plants, science and art--and more--with creativity at its core. A delight!"-- "Giuliana Furci, founding director, the Fungi Foundation"

About the Author

Alison Pouliot is an ecologist and photographer with a passion for fungi. She divides her time between the northern and southern hemispheres to ensure that she experiences two autumns per year in the pursuit of fungi. She has written several books, including Funga Obscura: Photo Journeys Among Fungi and Meetings with Remarkable Mushrooms: Forays with Fungi Across Hemispheres, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Stuart Patience is a London-based illustrator whose hand-drawn work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, The New Yorker, The New York Times, New Scientist, and the World Wildlife Fund.