Fun with Fungi and Visions of Birch Ridge

Thanks to Kate Wilcox for these photos of the Fungi Foray.A forest full of fungi awaited a group of 30 intrepid mushroom enthusiasts heading out onto the wooded southern slopes of Caverly Mountain in New Durham on a cool and drizzly October Saturday morning. The occasion was “Mushrooms at Merrymeeting: A Fungi Foray”, the second event in a series of field trips introducing the public to the proposed Birch Ridge Community Forest. The Birch Ridge events are offered by the Partnership for Birch Ridge Community Forest, consisting of Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG), Southeast Land Trust (SELT) and Merrymeeting Lake Association (MMLA). The Partnership is working to purchase, conserve and steward the 2000-acre property for the benefit of the community and future generations. More information about Birch Ridge Community Forest and Partnership is available at www.seltnh.org/birchridge.The rain and cool temperatures didn't dampen the zeal of guides Jason Karakehian and James Mitchell, both graduate students in a mycology lab at Harvard Extension School, who were fountains of fungi knowledge. After some instruction on collection techniques, participants dispersed through an area of woods near a beaver pond and gathered a remarkable diversity of mushrooms, which were then spread out on tables to identify and discuss.Jason picked up a fruiting body (the visible portion) of the relatively common fomes fomentarius from the table. Also known as tinder fungus or hoof fungus, it grows on trees in the shape of a horse’s hoof. It’s known for its ability to smolder a long time and can be used to transport burning embers to re-kindle a fire. Like many fungi, it plays a valuable decomposition function in the forest, part of the recycling of tree nutrients back into the soil.Jason also emphasized how important fungi are to the forest ecosystem in general. In addition to their more well-known roles as parasites and saprophytes (rotters of wood), other fungi have a symbiotic relationship with trees. They have long underground mycelium (fungal strands) that absorb water and nutrients from the soil and pass them to tree roots, with which they are entangled, in exchange for the sugars that the trees convert from sunlight.At the outset of the Fungi Foray, participants had gotten a view of Birch Ridge across Merrymeeting Lake as they learned about the project to save Birch Ridge Community Forest. By the end of the day, MMRG member Susan Raslavicus was thrilled with the event and also committed to the project, saying, “This event was wonderful, the best day of the summer! I wish I could attend more MMRG events. But I'll definitely come to the Visioning Session for Birch Ridge -- that is really important!"  The Community Visioning Session and Children’s Program will take place at 6pm on Thursday, November 1 at New Durham Elementary School, 7 Old Bay Rd, New Durham. It is an opportunity for all who care about conserving the proposed 2000-acre Birch Ridge Community Forest to offer their input and hopes for the property. Pre-registration is requested by noon on Wednesday, October 31; go to http://seltnh.org/events-page/ or call SELT at 603/778-6088.