Hike teaches fun facts about fungus

Besides being weird and wonderful, fungi also have an impact on the environment, according to University of Missouri researcher Jeanne Mihail. She will lead a mushroom hike on Saturday at Graham Cave State Park. This fungus, Spongipellis pachyodon, causes rot in trees, mushroomexpert.com claims.
Besides being weird and wonderful, fungi also have an impact on the environment, according to University of Missouri researcher Jeanne Mihail. She will lead a mushroom hike on Saturday at Graham Cave State Park. This fungus, Spongipellis pachyodon, causes rot in trees, mushroomexpert.com claims.

DANVILLE, Mo. - Take advantage of Saturday's predicted gorgeous weather - and learn something new - by meeting the "fungus among us" during a guided hike at Graham Cave State Park.

At 10 a.m., professor Jeanne Mihail from the University of Missouri will set off from the lower picnic area at the park to teach about mushrooms and their role in the ecosystem. The park is located two miles west of Danville on Route TT.

"Participants will learn the story of fungi living in Missouri forests and Graham Cave State Park, many of which are beneficial as nutrients for the forest and often our own bodies, too," a park representative said.

All ages and levels of hiking proficiency are welcome, the representative said, adding participants should bring their own water bottles and hiking shoes.

Organizer and park volunteer Lorie Hetrick-Volenberg said the hike will follow the .3-mile Fern Ridge Trail and may also visit the cave, adding another quarter mile.

"The Fern Ridge Trail is not wheelchair/stroller accessible," Hetrick-Volenberg said. "I'd say 6- or 7-year-olds would be OK. There is a wheelchair/stroller accessible (paved) trail directly to the cave itself."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned this year may bring high levels of tick-borne diseases. Wearing long pants that tuck into socks and applying a DEET-based repellent may be wise.

Mihail researches this region's fungi, according to her faculty profile. She looks into topics like where and when the highly prized morel mushroom pops up in the spring. She's also interested in bioluminescence - that's when an organism like a fungus produces light.

"My two favorite fungus projects are the ecological role of fungal light production (which is also known as bioluminescence) and understanding the biology of the white nose disease of bats," Mihail said.

The species of fungus found on the hike will depend on the weather, Mihail added.

"We will certainly see wood decay mushrooms and lichens," she said. "If there is enough moisture, we should see some typical mushrooms (stalk and cap). If there are particularly wet spots, we may see jelly fungi or wood ears; maybe even slime molds. Fungi love moisture, so that will be key."