Ties to our past and to our future
Fungi can be very old, thousands of years old. The mushroom spot your grandmother showed you is probably the same organism that has been feeding generations of your ancestors for hundreds if not thousands of years.
We form these personal over-generational relationships to trees, like the apple trees inherited from grand parents, but rarely to fungi. It’s the same species. Same organism. Fruiting bodies from the same individual.

The hidden kingdoms inside the forests
Eric, Kääpä Biotech – When we look at forests, we tend to name them according to the trees: a spruce forest or a mixed forest. We rarely stop to think about what really defines the health and character of the forest, namely the fungi beneath the ground responsible for those mycorrhizal connections.
Maybe it’s the complexity and interconnectedness that has kept fungi largely invisible until today. We know nothing about fungi out of an estimated 1.5 to 5 million species on the world around 150,000 are known to science, but even these are under researched.

Boundless potential
This leaves us with boundless potential related to applications for fungi, medicinally, from the perspective of sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and in the quest to preserve biodiversity.
This is why fungi have the potential to save our species.
Boundless potential
This leaves us with boundless potential related to applications for fungi, medicinally, from the perspective of sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and in the quest to preserve biodiversity.
This is why fungi have the potential to save our species.
The gentle science of growing fungi
Fungi turn deadwood into the nursery of the forest through keeping the logs moist and antibacterial – a perfect breeding ground for new life. In Finland, it’s estimated that 20,000 species depend on deadwood.
The fungi also have a crucial role in enhancing the ability of trees to capture carbon. Introducing fungi to tree nurseries increases tree growth by 20%, but also helps with survivability of the saplings as it reduces pest infections.
In addition of improving profitability this practice helps the trees to get on the right path to form very healthy mycorrhizal relationships.

Carbon sequestration: Forming the black diamonds
However, finding and maintaining the right mycorrhizal strains is a science in itself, but shows great promise. Whereas trees are delaying the carbon cycle, fungi can sequester it into the forest through melanizing the carbon.
Melanized carbon has more in common with diamonds than it has with wood: it doesn’t decompose.

‘All right,’ Too-ticky said. ‘Now, here’s your new family. They’re a bit silly at times, but rather decent, largely speaking.’
‘Give the kid a chair,’ Moominpappa said. ‘Does she know how to pick mushrooms?’
‘I really know nothing at all about Ninny,’ Too-ticky said. ‘I’ve only brought her here and told you what I know. Now I have a few other things to attend to. Please look in some day, won’t you, and let me know how you get along. Cheerio.’
When Too-ticky had gone the family sat quite silent, looking at the empty chair and the silver bell. After a while one of the chanterelles slowly rose from the heap on the table. Invisible paws picked it clean from needles and earth. Then it was cut to pieces, and the pieces drifted away and laid themselves in the basin. Another mushroom sailed up from the table.
‘Thrilling!’ My said with awe. ‘Try to give her something to eat. I’d like to know if you can see the food when she swallows it.’
‘How on earth does one make her visible again,’ Moominpappa said worriedly. ‘Should we take her to a doctor?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Moominmamma. ‘I believe she wants to be invisible for a while. Too-ticky said she’s shy. Better leave the kid alone until something turns up.’
