Nobody knows California’s incredible, diverse lichens like Stephen Sharnoff, author of the new A Field Guide to California Lichens.
Stephen Sharnoff Shares the Secrets of the Lichen World
January 1, 2015 •
Fungi
All about mushrooms.
How an East Bay Water Agency is Experimenting with Mushrooms to Improve Water Quality
November 6, 2014 •
A pioneering experiment in the East Bay shows how mushrooms can reduce toxins or harmful microbes in the water supply
How Can You Tell a True Turkey Tail from an Imposter?
November 28, 2013 •
Bracket fungi, named for their shelf-like structure, can often be seen fanned out of decaying wood. How can you identify them?
Looking for Lichens in Knowland Park
November 4, 2013 •
Oakland’s Knowland Park boasts unparalleled views of the San Leandro Bay, gnarled coast live oak trees and stands of rare, maritime chaparral. But within this large landscape, one of nature’s smallest communities is flourishing—lichen.
Flying Lichens, Like Old Man’s Beard, Find a Way to Live on Air
October 14, 2013 •
Lichens are not so much a taxonomic category as a way of life; as lichenologist Trevor Goward put it, “Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture.”
Planet Fungi
September 27, 2012 •
Culinary uses aside, fungi have their own aesthetic appeal: the spectral elegance of the amanitas, the vivid reds and greens of the waxy caps.
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Perilous Beauty
January 1, 2009 •
The beauty, and danger, of Amanita mushrooms.
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Point Reyes Mycoblitz
October 1, 2008 •
Scientists and fire ecologists will be studying the cause and effects of these fires for years, and that includes taking a close look at fungi in the soil. As reported in Bay Nature‘s July-September 2005 issue, UC Berkeley microbiologist Tom … Read more
Where to Find Fungi, Once the Rains Begin
January 1, 2004 •
A good rain sends all manner of mushrooms pushing their way up from underground. Here are some of the places around the Bay Area where you can admire the beauty and diversity of these charismatic fungi.
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Often-Overlooked Lichens are Essential to the Bay Area’s Environment
January 1, 2002 •
Is it a mushroom? A moss? Bacterial scum? Trod on underfoot or passed by in blissful ignorance, lichens are perhaps the least understood element of the Bay Area landscape. But they are everywhere. And when we look closely at them, a colorful and diverse world opens up before our eyes.