Exploring the Mysteries of Mushrooms with Sierra Experience Field Trips
Every season offers unique opportunities for students to learn about the amazing Sierra Nevada ecosystem
Last winter’s unprecedented snowfall led to a summer filled with exciting discoveries about the Sierra watershed. As summer gave way to autumn, a new hero emerged—the mushroom! These captivating fungi became the stars of Sierra Experience fall field trips, sparking curiosity and wonder in every participant.
Gateway Mountain Center guide Luis Rubio-Aguilar shares the awe of nature with a group of Sierra Experience campers, as they encounter the large and small flora of the Sierra Nevada forest.
An opening for students to learn about the intricate web of life
Like trees and all the other life flourishing in the forest, mushrooms are fascinating organisms. They appeared on land hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs, and may be older than all metazoans—that is all animals in existence today. Their perseverance on earth has a lot to teach us about the importance of being together in community. In fact, mushrooms are outstanding models for living in healthy connection with each other and our environment. By exploring the mysteries of mushrooms, students can learn how everything is connected and about nature’s intricate web of life.
Pyrola phyllia, also known as leafless winter green, is a ‘mycorrhizal-heterotroph’. This plant does not photosynthesize, but is instead fed by fungi growing in the soil nearby. Photo by Luis Rubio-Aguilar.
Mushrooms Teach us about Collaboration, Agency, Resilience, and Service
Long before humans came into existence, mushrooms were actively participating in the full cycle of life and in connection with the other organisms around them. Their ability to communicate using chemical signals facilitates a transfer of information, bringing other organisms into relationship with each other and even helping other plants share nutritional resources. The mighty mushroom breaks down dead organic matter, doing the important work of recycling nutrients back into the soil. In many of its forms, it is also an important food source for all kinds of animals, including squirrels, deer, slugs, and flies.
Mushrooms have more in common with animals—and people—than you might think:
Fungus and animals share a common ancestor that separated from plants about 1.1 billion years ago.
Like animals, fungi are heterotrophs rather than autotrophs (organisms that make their own food).
Some mushrooms can create their own airflow to better disperse their spores. They create their own “wind” by allowing their moisture to evaporate, which creates a little lift for the spores.
Mushrooms can stay dormant for years and still be viable.
Artist’s conk, also known as ganoderma applanatum, is in the same genus as the Reishi mushroom, which has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. Photo by Luis Rubio-Aguilar.
With this year’s bountiful bloom, mighty mushrooms did all the calling!
Captivated by the fantastic range of fungus on the forest floor, students were eager to listen as Gateway Guide Luis Rubio-Aguilar—an expert on mushrooms and forest plants who we are grateful to have on staff—introduced each mushroom by name and told the story of its ways. Time and time again, in one group after another, student engagement was so great that the kids forgot about their cell phones! All ears in learning how mushrooms serve the unique Sierra Nevada ecosystem, they returned to their classrooms and communities energized and with an understanding of how important it is for these delicate and mighty organisms to continue making their vital, life-sustaining contributions.
Exploring the mysteries of mushrooms with students was incredibly rewarding for everyone at Gateway. While we are already off and running with the great fun and learning that comes with wintertime, we’re looking forward to more inspiring encounters between students and the mighty mushrooms of the Sierra next year!
When you are in nature, please take care to not disturb the precious ecosystem, and remember that we must always be very thoughtful in our choices about how we interact with the environment. Let’s empower young people with potentially life-saving information, so they don’t mistake poisonous mushrooms for edible ones. Teaching young people how to identify mushrooms can save lives.
Social-emotional learning is an essential element of Gateway’s Sierra Experience field trips. By connecting with nature and exploring the outdoors, students can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. All our camps and field trips are designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the environment while also developing important life skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
Learn more about how you can benefit your students with a Sierra Experience School Field Trip, or book a custom program for a group of young people today.
Let’s Be in Connection!
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