{"id":73768,"date":"2016-11-05T16:31:12","date_gmt":"2016-11-05T23:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=73768"},"modified":"2016-11-14T13:29:18","modified_gmt":"2016-11-14T20:29:18","slug":"decomposing-my-troubles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=73768","title":{"rendered":"Decomposing my Troubles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>\u201cFungi are the grand molecular disassemblers in nature. Fungi are the interface organisms between life and death. They generate soil.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mycologist Paul Stamets<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is something lurking in the swamps of New Jersey. It breathes oxygen. It respires CO2. It devours the dead for dinner. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I&#8217;m talking about is fungus, of course! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When making plant collections in thick forests, it&#8217;s hard to miss the unique shapes and vibrant colors of the fungus that are contrasting with the brown and green background.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This internship not only strengthens my skills in plant identification, but additionally gives me the opportunity to expand my realm of knowledge to other aspects of biotic life. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Like finding a 1up mushroom in a mario game, it\u2019s like a prize to see a brightly colored cap along the path I\u2019m hiking. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a naturalist, I enjoy matching each new plant or fungi to their correct species epithet, and learn about their functionality.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms, like Facebook, currently host tons of group identification forums. The online community is always helpful to plant-nerds like me whenever the right answer cannot be found in my field guide. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So as I walk along, I snap a quick picture of these photogenic fungi and continue on my way. Here are some of my favorites: <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73774\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73774\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73774 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2665-e1478387336139-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_2665\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2665-e1478387336139-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2665-e1478387336139-450x600.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2665-e1478387336139-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73774\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Cortinarius iodes<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cViolet cort\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This fungi gets a slimey cap after it rains.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73769\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73769\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73769 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_0576-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_0576\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_0576-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_0576-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_0576-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_0576-1024x1024.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73769\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Artomyces pyxidatus<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cCrown coral\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An elegant coral mushroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73770\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73770\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73770 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_2493\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493-338x600.jpg 338w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2493.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73770\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Amanita muscaria var. Guessowii <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><i>\u201c<\/i>American Yellow Fly Agaric\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What a pretty baby growing on the path!<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73771\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73771\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73771 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_2496\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496-338x600.jpg 338w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2496.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73771\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Boletus edulis<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cPorcini\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The choicest of all mushrooms. Highly prized in Europe, they can sell for over $50 a pound dry. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73772\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73772\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73772 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2629-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_2629\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2629-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2629-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2629.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73772\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Trametes Versicolor<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cTurkey tail\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I often see these more than any other mushroom in my travels. Has medicinal and anti-cancer properties. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73773\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73773\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73773 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2640-e1478387510445-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_2640\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2640-e1478387510445-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2640-e1478387510445-450x600.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2640-e1478387510445-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73773\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Pleurotus ostreatus<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cOyster mushroom\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These were growing on <em>Fagus grandifolia<\/em>, although they normally grow on oaks. They have a fishy smell and are commercially cultivated. I have noticed that the wild variety has a more fragrant smell than cultivated ones.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73775\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73775\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-73775\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2673-e1478387293463-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cBicolor bolete\u201d\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2673-e1478387293463-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2673-e1478387293463-450x600.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2673-e1478387293463-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73775\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Boletus bicolor<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>The &#8220;Bicolor bolete.&#8221; <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This fungi, sports a red stem and cap, and yellow pores. It is apparently edible and bruises blue.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73776\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73776\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73776 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_3106\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106-338x600.jpg 338w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106-768x1363.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3106.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73776\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Laetiporus sp.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><i>\u201c<\/i>Chicken Mushroom\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MY FAVORITE. Serve em up anyway you like, batter em, fry em, stick em in a stew. Unmistakable and easy to spot. They have sulfur colored pores beneath. Tastes like chicken.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73777\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73777\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73777 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3107-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_3107\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3107-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3107-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3107-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3107-1024x1024.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73777\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Lycoperdon pyriforme<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cPear Puffballs\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This species is white inside and can often be found growing on wood.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_73778\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-73778\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-73778 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2801-e1478388210565-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Clavaria sp.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2801-e1478388210565-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2801-e1478388210565-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2801-e1478388210565-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2801-e1478388210565-1024x1024.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-73778\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Clavaria sp.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cFlame fungus\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I saw these poking out from under the leaf litter I just thought, \u201cWow, the Earth is weird.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I would have loved to pick some of these toadstools, however, I only had a permit to collect seeds, so I had to leave them be. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When foraging mushrooms, it&#8217;s good to keep in mind that picking them will not destroy the mycelial networks that they sprout from. In fact, picking the mushroom<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0can spread the spores that are produced from the fruiting body further when they are carried in something like a basket. If it is your style to pick, then try and cut or pinch the end that has soil\/debris on it, (the part that you would cut off before eating) and leave it on the ground or on a piece of wood nearby. By incorporating this into your foraging habits, it can help proliferate culture in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I saw most of these mushrooms in Northern New Jersey in both the piedmont and Appalachian ecoregions. I have also seen some in the pine barrens. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within the permits of the Mid- Atlantic Regional Seed Bank, one of the most biodiverse areas to collect is the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1960. Half of the refuge is designated wilderness area, and was the first wilderness under the management of the U.S. Department of Interior. Perhaps the area\u2019s preservation from half a century ago left the mycelial networks intact better than the other areas I\u2019ve explored that have roads through them. I usually associate the presence of a diverse array of fungi with a healthy swamp ecosystem. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are roughly <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5.1 million species of fungus on earth, of which 10 percent produce fruiting bodies or \u201cmushrooms.\u201d From food, to medicine, to bioremediation, to plant communication to decomposition; fungus is integral part of life in our world. Even when there aren\u2019t any fruits to be seen, you can be sure there are webs of mycelial networks just beneath your feet.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cFungi are the grand molecular disassemblers in nature. Fungi are the interface organisms between life and death. They generate soil.\u201d Mycologist Paul Stamets There is something lurking in the swamps of New Jersey. It breathes oxygen. It respires CO2. It &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=73768\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7286,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[3554,3555,3533,3553,3552,3531,3532],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73768"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7286"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73768"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73925,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73768\/revisions\/73925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}