Ridley's Funky Fungi (GME094)

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From food to medicine, fungi can be found in every aspect of life. Yeast is a form of fungus that serves as a foundation for what we know of as life today; without yeast, we wouldn’t have breads or alcohol. Cheese is another staple for many people, and some cheeses are sought out for their moldy features – and remember, molds are a type of fungus. Penicillium is one of the most famous molds in the medical field, used to make life-saving penicillin. But the benefits to human life and society go well beyond these physical products derived from fungi. Oliveira, A. G., Stevani, C. V., Waldenmaier, H. E., Emerson, J. M., Loros, J. J., & Dunlap, J. C. (2015, March 19). Circadian Control Sheds Light on Fungal Bioluminescence. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(15)00160-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982215001608%3Fshowall%3Dtrue. Bleeding Tooth mushrooms contain another beneficial chemical called telephoric acid. Researchers are currently studying it as a future potential treatment for cognitive decline related to aging ( 1 9). Traditional Chinese medicine has put wood ear mushrooms to use for hundreds of years. Some believe these weird mushrooms can help improve breathing and sore throats while reducing colds and fevers. Recent research suggests there might be some truth to this. Studies have found that beta-glucans in wood ears may be able to strengthen your immune system ( 10). They also have high antimicrobial activity ( 11, 1 2).

Despite also being known as the Strawberry and Cream mushroom, this fungus is so bitter that it’s not worth entertaining the idea of eating it. This mushroom is reminiscent of a lion’s great shaggy mop, and it also happens to be one of the world’s most adaptive health boosters found in nature. #5 Lion’s Mane ( Hericium Erinaceus) Where does this weird mushroom grow? Park, Y. S., Lee, H. S., Won, M. H., Lee, J. H., Lee, S. Y., & Lee, H. Y. (2002, September). Effect of an exo-polysaccharide from the culture broth of Hericium erinaceus on enhancement of growth and differentiation of rat adrenal nerve cells. Cytotechnology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3449638/.Wood ear mushrooms grow in temperate forests around the world. They usually pop up on older trees in groups, and grow on dead and living ash, spindle, and beech trees. What’s unique about this mushroom?

Collaboratively we are creative, share sustainable values and work hard for great outcomes because that’s the buzz of satisfaction that drives us. Hsu, C. H., Sun, H. L., Sheu, J. N., Ku, M. S., Hu, C. M., Chan, Y., & Lue, K. H. (2008). Effects of the immunomodulatory agent Cordyceps militaris on airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model. Pediatrics and neonatology, 49(5), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1875-9572(09)60004-8Cordyceps Militaris is one of the weirdest of weird mushrooms by virtue of HOW it grows. Like all Cordyceps species, it is a parasitic fungus that infects the pupae of insects. The orange club-like mushroom (fruiting body) grows out of the dead insect carcass and emerges above ground. What useful properties does this mushroom have? Most notably, Lion’s Mane is great for the brain. It has two unique compounds that may protect neurons and nerves in our body and brain. They’re called hericenones and erinacines. Animal tests indicate compounds from Lion’s Mane may support nerve impulse transmission , facilitate better short and long-term memory, and enhance focus ( 1). Researchers discovered that these same compounds counter oxidative stress, which helps support brain cell health ( 1). These qualities of Lion’s Mane are speculated to also protect the brain from normal mild cognitive decline associated with aging ( 1,2). Turkey tail is quite chewy, therefore it’s best taken as a powdered mushroom supplement extract. We recommend taking two capsules of Real Mushrooms Turkey Tail Extract Capsules daily to experience its immune-boosting benefits. Real Mushrooms supplements are always made from whole, organic, fruiting mushrooms, never from myceliated grain or filler. FUN FAMILY GAME - See if you have what it takes to be the mushroom master in Funky Fungi from Ridley's Games! In this card-collecting game that will definitely grow on you, forage for the best fungi to be the first player to reach ten points and win the game. EASY TO PLAY - As the game goes on, the aim is to try to collect clusters, or combinations of 2 to 4 different fungi. Each completed cluster has a points value, and the player who reaches ten points first will be crowned champignon!

This is a book designed to have adults supporting young naturalists to learn about fungi through a hands-on approach: "Make a Spore Print," "Design Your Own Fungus," "Lichen-Looking Expedition," "Make Your Own Fungus-Fighting Mix," "Design a Postage Stamp," "Bundle Die with Fungi," "Send a Soil Sample," etc. Because of the dangers of interacting with fungi in the wild without supervision, I would not give this to children for independent reading unless they are 12 and older. All fungi use spores to reproduce. Spores are like the pollen in plants. They can be dispersed (spread) by wind, water or insects depending on the species. Vibrant, mysterious, and often fantastically shaped, weird mushrooms ignite curiosity all around the world. Some fascinate us with unusual designs that are reminiscent of animals or even human body parts. Others impress us with health-boosting qualities that evolved from the millions of years that fungi have spent adapting to every kind of environment. While some weird mushrooms are so bizarre, you can’t help but wonder if they’re actually from this planet. This is one of those weird mushrooms that looks like it crawled out of a nightmare. The young fruiting body “bleeds” a bright red sap that can look quite disturbing. As it ages, it slowly loses its ability to produce sap and develops a greyish-brown color. What useful properties does this mushroom have?

Ivory Gull

The game comes in a small, round container with 60 cards, 35 point tokens, and an instructions sheet inside. The container itself is portable due to its compact size, meaning you can take the fungus-filled fun with you anywhere! Also, the whole container looks like a mushroom, with the lid its red and white spotted cap. The little detail of two faces on the tub, one on each side, is so funny! Depending on which way you put it, you can have your mushroom box look either happy or dead and sad, you decide! the Vegetable Caterpillar Fungus) is a type of cordycep that turns native ghost moth caterpillars into zombies if the spores are eaten. Brandalise, F., Cesaroni, V., Gregori, A., Repetti, M., Romano, C., Orrù, G., Botta, L., Girometta, C., Guglielminetti, M. L., Savino, E., & Rossi, P. (2017). Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5237458/. Spelman, K; & Sutherland, E; Bagade, A; (2017). Neurological Activity of Lion’s Mane ( Hericium erinaceus ). Journal of Restorative Medicine. 6. 19-26. 10.14200/jrm.2017.6.0108.