I don’t know about you but when I think of the different kinds of life which exist, first I think of animals and plants. After that, maybe bacteria and viruses. Somehow, I often forget about fungi.
Yet, fungi, are a kingdom of Nature all of their own. They aren’t like other kinds of life, and Life as we know it wouldn’t exist on this planet without them.
The best place I know to find fungi is a forest. Although, at certain times of year the grass in my garden is also a great place to find them. They always astonish me. They seem to appear suddenly, as if from nowhere, and they come in all shapes, colours and sizes.
They amaze me.
And that’s enough.
But there are two other, not so obvious things about them, which intrigue me. Like icebergs, there is a lot more to them below the surface than just the parts we see above ground. So they speak to the hidden, the invisible parts of Life. Secondly they network like mad. Fungi don’t seem to exist as individuals. They are hugely and extensively connected through vast webs of threads throughout the soil.
In recent years we’ve come to understand their significance in maintaining the health of forests. The term “Wood Wide Web” has been coined to describe the immense network of connections between bacteria, fungi and trees in the forest to move nutrients, water and even information around.
So, apart from their beauty, variety and curiousness (is that a word?), I find that fungi remind me of how interconnected ALL of LIFE is, here, on this one, small, shared planet.
It’s good to be reminded of that from time to time, because it applies to us as well, not just trees.
Heroes Not Zombies 
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