The Trailblazer

If you are looking to learn about organisms that can be amazing, terrifying, and beautiful, look no further than fungi. Firstly, you may ask yourself, what are fungi? Fungi were once considered plants, but they do not photosynthesize. In fact, they are more closely related to animals than other plants, and they are classified in their own kingdom, separate from plants and animals.  Fungi include mushrooms, toadstools, truffles, mold, mildew, and yeast.  If they do not photosynthesize like plants or eat like animals, how do they sustain themselves? Fungi are heterotrophic , which means their nourishment comes from other organisms. Fungi gain this nourishment by digesting their food externally, and then absorbing it.  Many species feed on decaying organic matter like rotting wood, but some can go on the offensive as pathogens attacking plants, people, and other organisms. If a popular show about killer fungi comes to mind, you are not far off. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis,...

As I drive through the heart of Riverview, I find myself immersed in a bustling suburban neighborhood. Crowds of students flood the sidewalks as the regular Florida morning traffic picks up. The area has a peaceful character; it doesn't feel as cramped as Tampa, but the surging population of one hundred thousand people makes its presence known. Space is at a premium, even here in Riverview, which so stubbornly identifies itself as a place between others that we call it a "census-designated place" rather than a city. Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata)  lines the gravel drive leading into Bell Creek Nature Preserve. I turn into a gravel driveway, passing a sign reading “Bell Creek Nature Preserve.” The 2-acre facility on site, responsible for managing many Nature Preserves in Hillsborough County, is surprisingly small. I think about the environmental techs who perpetually pull into the back, stepping out of trucks covered in soot and drenched with sweat after putting out a...

Since we learned a little about fungi in this month's Conservation Corner, let's celebrate with a crossword.  Be sure to share it with your  mycorrhizal  network!  Print this image     Answer Key  

  Answers for the Fungi Fun Crossword 1. Spores 2. Water 3. Fairy 4. Cap 5. Kingdoms 6. Recycle 7. Spore Print 8. Chitin 9. Antibiotic 10. Mycologist 11 Across: Truffles 11 Down: Toadstool  12. Puffball 13. Foray 14. Mushroom 15. Fall 16. Carbon