Special 29 min. edit of the 2015 60 min. TUC program As forests burn across the US and misguided attempts to prevent fires by clear-cutting or raking the forest floor are being proposed, TUC Radio remembers the mycologist and author Paul Stamets. He is calling attention to the fact that old growth forests contain organisms that can heal us, feed us, or kill us.
More than any other scientist practicing today, Paul Stamets has dedicated himself to the life of fungi and that of their underground support system, the mycelium. Stamets says that the mycelia are soil magicians. They give rise not just to mushrooms but form an integral part of the forest ecosystem. The mycelia are disassemblers, creating the debris fields that then feed their fungal descendants. They also show purpose in choosing microbial allies, and Stamets believes they are part of the earth’s natural internet that is in constant bio-molecular communication, governing the ecosystem.
Paul Stamets has studied mushrooms for over 40 years. He discovered new species of fungi, saved ancient ones from extinction, and pioneered countless techniques of mushroom cultivation. Along the way he found many ways how fungi can be healers of people and the environment.
His premise is that that mushroom mycelium connects the immune systems between humans and environment – and that premise has been proven many times in his collaborations with scientific institutions and labs.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 19.9MB)
