Episoder
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Welcome back, citizen!
You've seen fungi, you've likely eaten fungi, but have you heard fungi? In this episode, you'll get to do just that and learn how two artists have discovered how to collaborate with our nonhuman friends. Trust me, it's mind-blowing. My guests this time are: Tosca Teran and Andrei Gravelle of Nanotopia.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Aquarian Hydrophone
Energy Bending Lab
Humus Sapiens
MIDI Sprout
Monophonic Moss Piglet
Tosca Teran was recently awarded a bio art residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto which runs through the summer. If you're in Toronto, you can check out Nanopod's workshops.
Thank you to Tosca Teran and Andrei Gravelle for sharing their incredible music with us and to patron William Denton for suggesting this episode. You can access a transcript of this episode coming soon.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter promo code "FUNGITOWN" to get a 10% discount on your order.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here.
$1 level gets you access to bonus mini episodes + a Fungi Town vinyl sticker$5 level gets you all of the above + a "Follow Me to Fungi Town" bumper sticker$10 level gets you all of the above + your choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter.If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpodor email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway! -
Welcome back, citizen!
Today, we revisit the exciting Fungus Olympics event and take a short trip around the world to talk to some competitors. This is part 2 of the series, where I speak with the contestants before they've run their fungi through the obstacles. In parts 3 and 4, we'll check in with our competitors to see how their fungi fared. If you missed part 1, check out episode 15 for a rundown of the event.
My guests this time are:
Dr. Shiv Kale at Virginia Tech
Dr. Daniel Henk at the University of Bath
Dr. David Peris from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Spain
Learn more about the episode topics:
The Fungus Olympics
Wild Yeasts found in Patagonia
Thank you to Dr. Kale, Dr. Henk, and Dr. Peris for telling me all about their fungus Olympians! and to my mom for helping me spread the word about Lichen Landscapes (get 10% off your order with code: FUNGITOWN). Check back in a few days for a full transcript of this episode.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your funky version of Fungi Town featured on the show? Send your .mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here.
$1 level gets you access to bonus mini episodes + a Fungi Town vinyl sticker$5 level gets you all of the above + a "Follow Me to Fungi Town" bumper sticker$10 level gets you all of the above + your choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter.If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Sound effects and other background music accessed via a Creative Commons license.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
Thanks for listening! -
Manglende episoder?
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Welcome back, citizen!
Join us for a micro-battle in the soil! This week, we'll get familiar with nematodes and learn about an incredible adaptation that some familiar fungi have. My guest this time is Dr. Greg Thorn with Western University in London, Ontario.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln - nematode page
American Phytopathological Society - nematode page
Medscape - Icky nematode-caused human diseases
Dr. George Barron - University of Guelph
The Atlantic - When Tulips Kill
Thank you to Dr. Greg Thorn for teaching us about the tricky traps fungi set for their prey, to Rowen Cannon for providing transcription, and to the Mycological Society of America's Student Section. You can access a transcript of this episode here.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter promo code "FUNGITOWN" to get a 10% discount on your order.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your funky version of Fungi Town featured on the show? Send your .mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here.
$1 level gets you access to bonus mini episodes + a Fungi Town vinyl sticker$5 level gets you all of the above + a "Follow Me to Fungi Town" bumper sticker$10 level gets you all of the above + your choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter.If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Background music is Mycelium by Lookyan. The thumbnail image for this episode was provided by the scientific journal Paracite.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpodor email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway! -
Welcome back, citizen!
What's got people so excited about the Great Lakes? A great discovery in the lakes is getting a lot of attention lately. So, I spoke to the researchers who plumbed the depths of the Great Lakes and brought up something surprising. My guests this time are Dr. Andrew Miller from the University of Illinois and Dr. Robert Cichewicz from the University of Oklahoma.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Science Direct article - “What Lies Beneath? Fungal diversity at the Bottom of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior”
Illinois Prairie Research Institute article - "Scientists find new fungi at the bottom of the Great Lakes"
Michigan Radio article - "Could a fungus from the bottom of a the Great Lakes hold a cure for cancer?"
What's In Your Backyard? citizen science project
Thank you to Dr. Miller and Dr. Cichewicz for sharing their remarkable discoveries with me, to Rowen Cannon for providing transcription, and to Leslie Masson of the Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United group. You can access a transcript of this episode here.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter promo code "FUNGITOWN" to get a 10% discount on your order.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here.
$1 level gets you access to bonus mini episodes + a Fungi Town vinyl sticker$5 level gets you all of the above + a "Follow Me to Fungi Town" bumper sticker$10 level gets you all of the above + your choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter.If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Background music is Flammulina velutipes by Keiss.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
Can fungi do acrobatics? sprints? backstrokes? Find out in this first episode of Fungi Town's four-part series on the Fungus Olympics! I'll talk to one of the organizers of the competition and several of the competitors to find out how the event got started and learn about the people behind the competition.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
The Fungus Olympics official site
Slime Moulds playlist
Wikipedia's entry on Microfluidics
Neutrophil definition from National Cancer Institute
Video of the hat-thrower fungus.
Thank you to Dr. Daniel Irimia from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Derreck Carter-House, Jesus Pena, and Dr. Jason Stajich from the University of California at Riverside, Dr. Ilkka Kronholm from the University of Jyväskylä, and to Rowen Cannon for providing the transcript for this episode, which you can find here or in the transcripts tab.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter promo code "FUNGITOWN" to get a 10% discount on your order.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here.
$1 level gets you access to bonus mini episodes + a Fungi Town vinyl sticker$5 level gets you all of the above + a "Follow Me to Fungi Town" bumper sticker$10 level gets you all of the above + your choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter.If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. The fanfare sound is by bone666138, used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Background music is Clavaria zolllingeri by Potential DiffereSE
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
Listen to this very special Halloween episode, where we'll talk about eerie glows, a mushroom that looks like a pumpkin, and fairy rings. My guest this time is Dr. Andrew Miller from the Illinois Natural History Survey.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Dr. Miller's co-authored article about Omphalotus
The Mushroom Expert's "conspiracy" article
Current Biology article about bioluminescence
Wikipedia's entry on fairy rings
Thank you to Dr. Andrew Miller from The Illinois Natural History Survey for sharing his expertise on Omphalotus, Dr. Marin Brewer for teaching us about fairy rings, and to Rowen Cannon for providing the transcript for this episode, which you can find here or in the transcripts tab.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter "FUNGITOWN" in the order notes.
***Update***
Fungi Town citizen, Leslie Masson, reached out to share some of her findings about this episode's fungi:
"I have a foolproof way of distinguishing chanterelles from Jack o’lanterns - put them in hot water. Jack O’Lanterns are a dye fungi so the water will become orange. When put into hot water chanterelles produce a negligible color change.
Below are photos of chanterelles (left & top)& jacks (right & bottom) in hot water."Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get one of my new Fungi Town bumper stickers, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, evil monster laugher by maarten.tepaske, both used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
Life on Earth faces some serious challenges. In this episode, I'll go over some of the major events that have shaped life on our planet and talk about our current "extinction event." I'll also speak with Dr. Taegan McMahon about her efforts to save our amphibian species.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Mass Extinctions (American Museum of Natural History)
Mass Extinctions (National Geographic)
Cambrian Extinction (Live Science)
Devonian Extinction (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Anthropocene Extinction (Time)
Amphibian Extictions (NZFrog)
Thank you to Dr. Taegan McMahon from The University of Tampa for sharing her expertise on frogs and fungi, and to Rowen Cannon for providing the transcript for this episode, which you can find here.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter "FUNGITOWN" in the order notes.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get one of my new Fungi Town bumper stickers, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, wildlife by conleec, bats by klankschap, and cane toads by bhobby all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Ominous music was Psathyrella Aquatica by Sobrio, also used through a Creative Commons license.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
What do gangrene, witches, and LSD have in common? Find out when I talk to Dr. Anthony Glenn from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service about the plant pathogen known as ergot of rye.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Claviceps purpurea (Wikipedia)
Ergot (American Phytopathological Society)
Grass (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Thank you to Dr. Anthony Glenn from The USDA for sharing his expertise on the show and to Rowen Cannon for providing the transcript for this episode, which you can find here.
Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter "FUNGITOWN" in the order notes.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get one of my new Fungi Town bumper stickers, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, lawn mower by ainayave, baseball hit by AmishRob, and grasswalk by smaigin; all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
Invasive species are a hot topic these days. With pythons in Florida and Lion Fish at the Atlantic coast, they're making news everywhere. But what exactly is an "invasive species" and how do we control them? I'll answer those questions and talk to Kristen Wickert from West Virginia University about how she's learning to control an invasive tree.
If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links:
Kudzu (Atlantic Journal Constitution)
Kudzu (Smithsonian Magazine)
Lion Fish (NOAA)
Lion Fish (Nature)
Biolcontrol (Sciencing.com)
Biocontrol (Biocontrol Journal)
Cane Toads (National Geographic)
Cane Toads (Australian Government)
Mongoose (Hawaiian Government)
Mongoose (MauiInvasive.org)
Mongoose (BigIslandNow.com)
Tree-of-Heaven (Nature Conservancy)
Tree-of-Heaven (Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources)
Tree-of-Heaven (USDA)
A photo comparing healthy and infected branches:
A photo showing the transfer of purple dye in Kristen's experiment:
Thank you to Kristen Wickert from West Virginia University for sharing her expertise on the show and to Dr. Marin Brewer for her contribution to De-funked! You can read Kristen's paper titled, "Seed Production, Viability, and Reproductive Limits of the Invasive Ailanthus altissima (Tree-of-Heaven) within Invaded Environments" here. Please check out my sponsor, Lichen Landscapes, for unique cards and prints and don't forget to enter "FUNGITOWN" in the order notes.
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get a snazzy Fungi Town logo vinyl sticker PLUS access to the mini episodes, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, eating apple by niwki, wind by InspectorJ, african-lion by soundbytez, ship horn by Grotelue, creaky dock by kev_durr, ship bell by CGEffex, pet shop by RTB45, boa constrictor by Kjell Persson, chopping wood by MAJ061785, chomp chew bite by bbrocer, tea by MC_Minnaar, gulp by brookmorgan, spray by WeeJee_vdH, squeak by Nakhas, and cane toad by bhobby; all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Photos were contributed by Kristen Wickert and used with permission.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
A transcript of this episode is available here.
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Welcome back, citizen!
This episode is the long-awaited smut episode! But, no need to usher the kids out of the room, because I'm talking - of course - about a type of fungi. My guest, Dr. Marin Brewer of the University of Georgia's Plant Pathology department, will talk about the biology of Ustilago maydis. I'll also speak to Daniel Brooks from Licha's Cantina about cooking with huitlacoche, a.k.a. "corn smut".
Here are some articles about this episode's fungus:
Food Republic
Aqui es Texcoco restaurant
PBS video
NPR article
Are you a musician? Would you like to have your version of Fungi Town (like Funky Town) featured on the show? Send your mp3 to fungitownpod [at] gmail [dot] com.
Very special thanks goes to Leah Churner, host of the Hothouse podcast, for helping me connect with Licha's Cantina. If you're interested in permaculture or just like to garden, check out her show on her website or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you're enjoying the show so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get a snazzy Fungi Town logo vinyl sticker PLUS access to the mini episodes, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, record scratch by luffy, and smutty music by leehayeskerr, all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Photo was taken by Jen Parrilli.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com. Check out the new YouTube channel! Once the channel hits 100 subscribers, I'll be doing a fantastic fungi giveaway!
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Welcome back, citizen!
This episode, I focus on having fun with fibers. My guest, Alissa Allen of Mycopigments, will talk about how to turn mushrooms and lichens into yarn dye! As a fiber artist, I'm especially excited to learn about this creative alternative to chemical colors. I'll also speak to Alissa's client and friend, Tess Barlow, about her experiences discovering her regional color palette. (Big apologies for the sticky keyboard sounds during Alissa's interview. I spilled beer on my laptop. T_T)
You can reach Alissa and other mushroom dyers on the Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United Facebook group.
You can find a brief overview of the known history of dyes here.
I'll be going to the Podcast Movement convention next week, to learn about how to be a better podcaster and improve the quality of the show. If you're enjoying it so far, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get a snazzy Fungi Town logo vinyl sticker PLUS access to the mini episodes, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music and sheep sounds are by soundmary; both used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Photo is by guest Alissa Allen and has been resized.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Welcome back, citizen!
This week, Fungi Town has gone batty! These often misunderstood but very beneficial creatures are one of the most fascinating things in nature. We've got 47 species in North America. One of America's native bats is the Pallid bat, that feeds on the "deathstalker" scorpion, the sting of which is said to be able to kill an adult human. Did you know that Austin, TX is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world? Those bats can eat tons of insects per night! But North America's bats represent only 3% of the worlds bat species. I could go on and on about all of the great things about bats, but I've brought in two great guests this episode to share their love for bats. Karen Vanderwolf of the University of Wisconsin and Melissa Ingala from the American Museum of Natural History will help us learn about the biggest threat to our bats: White Nose Syndrome.
For a WNS distribution map, go here.
What do you do if you've found a bat? Generally, you shouldn't disturb it, but if you think it may be injured or in danger, here are a few links where you can learn how to safely help the bat and who you can contact for help.
Bat World Sanctuary, Inc. - in the U.S.
Essex Bat Group - in the U.K.
If you'd like to help bats in general, consider donating or volunteering to one of these organizations:
Bat Conservation International
Lubee Bat Conservancy
If you're a member of the caving community, here are some resources that cover how to help protect bats while you're caving:
Bat Caver
White-Nose Syndrome.org
Great news! I'm going to the Podcast Movement convention in July. If you'd like to support my attendence at the world's largest podcasting convention, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get a snazzy Fungi Town logo vinyl sticker PLUS access to the mini episodes, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. The new theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, bat sounds are by klankschap, insect sounds are by heatfuse used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Photo is by guest Karen Vanderwolf and has been cropped and resized.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Welcome back, citizen!
In this episode of Fungi Town, we learn about a culinary delicacy from the American south that just might become a boon for Georgia farmers. Cousin to the well-known and much-sought-after European black truffle, the pecan truffle can be found much closer to home, but still fetches a nice price in the local market. Find out what a pecan truffle is, how it was discovered, and where to find it when I talk with Dr. Tim Brenneman from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia and Dr. Matthew Smith and Ph.D. student Arthur Grupe from the University of Florida's Plant Pathology Department.
**correction: I mistakenly described the pecan truffle fungus as being endomycorrhizal, when in fact it is ectomycorrhizal.
Here's a cute infographic on the differences between the chocolate truffle and the mushroom variety (you'll need to scroll down a little).
There's a great article about Georgia Pecan Truffles in Garden & Gun Magazine.
To watch a video of my guests with a truffle dog, go here.
Want to teach your dog to hunt truffles? Try Truffle Dog Co. or Southern Tradition Kennels.
To order pecan truffles, pecan truffle oil, and schedule a truffle hunt, try Pecan Ridge Plantation.
To get your science on and view pictures of truffle look-alikes to watch out for, try this.
Thirsty? Here's a European black truffle infused vodka called Black Moth (for funzies).
During the break, I make an exciting announcement about the Podcast Movement convention in July. If you'd like to support the podcast, please consider becoming a patron. Just click the green "become a Patron" button on your screen (upper right corner) or go here. For $1 a month, you get access to exclusive mini episodes of the show, for a $5 montly contribution, you get a snazzy Fungi Town logo vinyl sticker PLUS access to the mini episodes, and now there's a $10 option that gives you a choice of any of three beautiful mushroom prints by Athens artist Maggie Baxter. If you've already become a patron and want to bump up a level for the new rewards, it's easy!
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. The new theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music used via Creative Commons license through Freesound. Photo is by guest Dr. Matthew Smith and has been cropped and resized.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Hello, citizen. Welcome back to Fungi Town!
This time, we go underground to explore complex relationship between orchids and fungi. Did you know that all orchids depend on underground fungi to grow? In fact, most plants grow better with a fungal partner. But it's not all smiles and handshakes in this relationship. Find out more as I talk to Melissa McCormick from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center about mycorhizzal fungi.
For a good overview of mycorrhizae, check out this article from Untamed Science.
For a thorough read about orchids, try this entry by Encyclopedia Britannica.
Confused about ecto and endo mycorrhizae? Here's a great infographic from Plant Science 4U.
Okay, now WTF is an "endophyte?" Yeah, here's Wikipedia's entry on the subject.
Special thanks to my guests, Melissa McCormick, as well as Dr. Dorset Trapnell and Patrick Smallwood of UGA's Plant Biology department.
If you like this podcast, please consider becoming a patron. To get access to special mini episodes and a sweet vinyl sticker, just visit www.fungitown.com and click the green "become a patron" button in the upper right corner of your screen. How about leaving a review? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when we talk about a subterranian southern delicacy.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. The new theme music is by the awesome Athens, GA band Shehehe. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, Ice Cream Truck Melody, Wind, kisses, and Primary school children playing were cropped and used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Hi citizen! Welcome back to Fungi Town!
This week, we focus on the amazing ability some fungi have to clean our environment. Lots of people enjoy growing and eating oyster mushrooms, but did you know that they can also clean diesel fuel and motor oil out of the soil? They're not the only species of fungi skilled at breaking down toxic materials. Since fungi don't have mouths and stomachs, they have to digest their food outside of their bodies and then reabsorb the nutrient soup that results. These digestive secretions, known as enzymes, are great at breaking big molecules (like petrochemicals) down into smaller, digestable ones. Join me as I talk to two mycoremediation experts about the great possiblilites and the challenges of cleaning our Earth with fungi.
To read about how brown rot fungi can be used in the biofuel industry, go here.
To learn more about dog waste and waterways, check out this pamplet by the Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works Department.
To find out more about Athens' chicken laws, check out this article in The Flagpole.
Special thanks to my guests: Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain in South Carolina. His book is Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation, published by Chelsea Green, contains several remediation projects you can do at home with a limited budget. And to Levon Durr of Fungaia Farm.
If you like this podcast, please consider becoming a patron. To get access to special mini episodes and a sweet vinyl sticker, just visit www.fungitown.com and click the green "become a patron" button in the upper right corner of your screen. How about leaving a review? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when we talk about the fascinating relationship between fungi and orchids.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme Music was created using the Bandimal App from Yatatoy. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, sound effects were Chopping Onion by ObieDaz and Butter Sizzling by hmoosher, all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Hi citizen! Welcome back to Fungi Town!
This week, we investigate the mysterious partnership between fungi and algae that forms lichen. Although they may look like moss and live in some of the same habitats, lichens are completely different organisms. To help me explain what lichens are and what makes them so interesting, my guest Dr. Frank Bungartz from Arizona State University and the Charles Darwin Foundation talks about his work in the Sonoran Desert and the Galapagos Islands. We'll also discuss a new discovery that de-funked over 140 years of lichenology.
To learn more about Tony Spribille's discovery, check out the excellent videos below:
SciShow Talk Show
What's in a Lichen - National Geographic
If you like this podcast, please consider becoming a patron. To get access to special mini episodes and some sweet vinyl stickers, just visit www.fungitown.com and click the green "become a patron" button in the upper right corner of your screen. How about leaving a review? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when we talk about how fungi may be the solution to cleaning up our environment.
Special thanks to my guests: Dr. Frank Bungartz of Arizona State University and the Charles Darwin Foundation and Haley Golz of Lichen Landscapes, who contributed the artwork for this episode. Check out her website for some beautiful prints and cards.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme Music was created using the Bandimal App from Yatatoy. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Welcome back to Fungi Town!
This week, we explore one of my favorite topics - beer! What has beer got to do with fungi? Everything! In fact, you can't make beer without it. Join me as I talk to two beer brewing experts and find out what role our fungal friends have in making the most consumed alcoholic beverage on the planet. (But you don't have to be 21 to listen.) Then, I'll travel to Walton County to visit with a healthcare professional who will help me de-funk a fungi myth.
Please like this podcast and subscribe! Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when we talk about the crustiest - or crustose-iest - fungi of all, lichens.
Special thanks to my guests: David Thornton of Carolina Bauernhaus Ales and Southyeast Labs, Brian Roth from Southern Brewing Company, and Kelsey Flick of the Walton County Health Department. Thanks also go to Sarah Peck and Eric Wagoner for their assistance.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme Music was created using the Bandimal App from Yatatoy. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music, used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Welcome back to Fungi Town!
One of the very best ways to learn about mushrooms is to go out and find them. But once you do, how do you know what you've got? How do you know if it's poisonous? Where should you look to find more of them? To answer any of those questions, you'll need to get a proper mushroom ID and on this episode of Fungi Town, we'll find out how to do just that!
Here are a few of the mushroom identification resources mentioned in this episode:
Mushroom Observer
Mushroom Expert
Mushrooms Demystified
Yellow Elanor
Here's a simple mushroom diagram:
Please like this podcast and subscribe! Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when we talk about one of my favorite subjects - beer!
Special Thanks to Alan Rockefeller for his input on mushroom identification, Bill Sheehan and Sam Landes of the Mushroom Club of Georgia for helping me connect with Alan, and Rachel Zoller from Yellow Elanor for letting me use her wonderful mushroom diagram.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Theme Music was created using the Bandimal App from Yatatoy. Defunked theme music is Fminor_Funk_BassGroove_100bpm by GRD-music-, School bell.wav is by 13FPanska_Stranska_Michaela, chalkboard-writing-pan-timelapse.wav is by newagesoup, and Spy Music.wav is by Alvinwhatup2, all used via Creative Commons license through Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Welcome to the very first episode of Fungi Town!
Many people think that fungi are related to plants, but they're actually more closely related to animals! In this episode, I'll go over some important differences between the plant and fungi kingdoms. We'll also go on a tour of the average home to discover some of the many ways that we interact with fungi in our everyday lives. Finally, I'll take you to a working mushroom farm to de-funk a mushroom myth. Come on down to Fungi Town!
Please like this podcast and subscribe! Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts will go a long way toward helping other listeners find their way to Fungi Town. New episodes are released every two weeks. Join me next time, when I cover mushroom identification.
Thanks to my "what's a fungus" guests: Elizabeth Joy Tong, John Tyme Tong, Eric Wagoner, Vivian Wagoner, Juniper Wagoner, and Terrance Schmidt. Special Thanks to Kevin Frazier for showing me around the Sparta Mushrooms farm, Doug Parsons (host of the podcast America Adapts) and my mentors and cohorts during this month's 28 Day Podcast Challenge.
Fungi Town is written, directed and produced by Jen Parrilli and hosted on Podbean. Music was created using the Bandimal App from Yatatoy. All sound effects were recorded by Jen Parrilli with the following exceptions: cow (by reinsamba), bats (by klankschap), cafe (by CharleneZ), and funky music (by leehayeskerr) used via Creative Commons license and found on Freesound.
You can find Fungi Town on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram: @fungitownpod or email at fungitownpod[at]gmail[dot]com.
A transcript of this episode is available here.
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Curious about cordyceps? Feeling icky about inkcaps? Maybe you just want to know what that fuzz growing on your bread is.
I'm excited about the world of fungi and even more excited to bring you my brand new podcast all about them!
Here's a little taste of what's to come at Fungi Town, launching soon.
