The right to roam

I spent the last month in Sweden visiting some elderly relatives. My grandmother will be turning 100 next year so we figured it was important to have some quality time together.

During my time here I have wandered the woods and foraged for mushrooms, plants, and berries. There is a ruling in Sweden that states that every person has the right to roam. It is called “Allemansrätten” and translates to “everyman’s right” or the “right of public access”. Some people refer to it as the “right to roam”. This means that every person in the country has access to nature; forests, and lakes in which to walk, bike, ride, sail, swim, or camp. You are allowed to forage for berries, flowers, and mushrooms. You can pick plants if you do not harm them. You are not allowed to dig up and transplant plants or break branches.

Lingonberry picking and foraging for mushrooms- typical Swedish pastimes. The mushrooms are yellow-foot chanterelles and hedgehog mushrooms.

There are restrictions on how close you are allowed to linger next to people’s homes and fields. The most important part of the ruling is that you cannot disturb or destroy anything in your roaming. You are responsible for picking up garbage as you spot it, and to report if wildlife is injured or you see destruction. You are allowed to camp for a day or two and make a fire (unless there is a fire ban in effect) and when you leave, you must ensure that the spot looks as pristine, or preferably better, than it was when you first arrived.

You are not allowed to drive ATV’s or other motor vehicles in the forest. This includes mopeds, 4WDs, electric bikes and camper vans. This is to ensure that sensitive habitats do not get destroyed, that wildlife is protected and that the peace and quiet can be maintained for all. Hunting and fishing are not allowed unless you have a specific permit.

 

Growing up in Sweden I took this right for granted and spent hours upon hours roaming the forest learning about the animals and plants. I arrived in Vernon, Canada with the vision that Canada would be like Sweden, just bigger and with even more wonderful wildlife to explore. That is the image that Canada portrays to the rest of the world. Wonderful wilderness where you can feel free. 

 

However, I found myself feeling restricted on where to roam, how to access nature and lakeshores and how to feel free. Everywhere I turned there were no-trespassing signs. Clearly the landowners didn’t want people on their land. The Provincial or National parks had space to truly roam, but here you were not allowed to pick berries, flowers, or mushrooms. When I finally ended up on a property in Armstrong with a patch of forest, I realised that the reason for the no-trespassing signs were to deter people who otherwise would dump garbage. On the property I live there are beer cans, refrigerators, sofas, and car batteries being chucked off the side of the road. There have even been old cars dumped. This hurts all the critters living in the woods. The amount of leaked fluid and smashed glass in the forest from these activities make me cry and I wonder how anyone can care so little about the landscape they drive through. I am wondering if the people that act like this never had a chance to sit by a campfire by a calm lake together with people they love; if they never had the chance to cook up some freshly foraged mushrooms or hear the owl while sleeping under the stars. If they had really, truly experienced connectedness with the land, would they still commit such acts of violence by dumping their toxic waste?

How can we ensure that people grow up to learn about nature and learn to value it? I personally think that this care for the land comes from being on it, not from admiring it from afar. When you wander the woods and find nourishment from the plants and berries you find within it, how can you possibly feel anything but deep gratitude from the land that provide so abundantly for you?

Because of this I feel that it is more important than ever to ensure that children grow up with access to natural spaces and that everyone feel mutually responsible for the well-being of the land. 

Our lives depend on it.... truly.

Kingfisher Interpretive Centre

Shona teaching a class about the salmon lifecycle and anatomy

The last month I have had the great pleasure of being part of the team at Kingfisher Interpretive Centre. I have learnt so much about salmon and its importance from the interpreters at the centre who do a fabulous job of teaching the life cycle and the anatomy of the salmon. Not only that, but they also have a thriving fish breeding program in schools across three school districts. During this fall, around a 1000 people visited the centre to learn about the salmon. 

Images starting top left: lens of a chinook salmon, chinook salmon eggs, and chinook salmon spawning

In a few weeks the students will receive the eyed eggs in their school aquariums and will be able to follow the growth of the salmon until their release in spring. During my time out there, we saw large chinook coming to spawn and bright red kokanees among them. It is a true marvel the journey the chinook fish take, they can smell their way down to Vancouver and back. The odds of them surviving are slim, it is estimated that out of every 5000 eggs laid only two fish make it back to spawn. Watching the fish spend their last energy making a redd (their nest), depositing their eggs and then floating off dead you really understand this species’ will to live and procreate, and how much nutrient and food this species provide for all the animals and trees by the river. Adding to all the natural predators of the salmon, such as bear, seal and orcas, the fish now also must deal with climate change added obstacles such as heating streams, shortage of water and landslides due to flash flooding. Salmon is an important keystone species and if we lose salmon, many other species will suffer, 130+ species depend on salmon. 

Laureen singing the Salmon Song

Laureen Felix from Splatsin has been sharing her knowledge about the salmon and its role for her people with the kids coming to the centre. Laureen learnt how to spear and harpoon fish from her dad when she was little and is continuing to fish in the way she was taught from her elders. The Secwepemc people have been in this area for 10 000 years and have developed an intimate relationship with the salmon. When Laureen sings the Salmon Song to welcome and call the fish back, when all the school children stand quietly by the riverside ready to give their offering of cedar to the salmon, I am filled with hope. If we can re-learn how to be on the land and show the same reverence and respect for the land that the Secwepemc have done, we can ensure that the salmon survive to feed generations of people, animals and plants. We are a community of so much more than just people. We are a community of all the beings and the waterways, each cog in that wheel serves a purpose and has value. 

Learning from the Splatsín community

     

The last couple of weeks the kids and I have been fortunate to learn from Splatsin members about the Secwepemc culture. There is a fabulous exhibition on at the Enderby and District Arts council (5-30th Sep) showcasing everything from ribbon skirts to birchbark baskets and woven thule mats. There have also been 4 different workshops where you can learn about traditional fishing methods, hear storytelling, try your hand at drawing pictographs and learn the language through playful bingo. The community has been so generous with their time and sharing their skills and knowledge. It has been our favourite thing all week, coming to the arts centre, learning and getting to know the people.

After we heard Laureen Felix speak about salmon and how important salmon is to her people, we wanted to learn more, and we spent a day researching about this life-giving fish and its importance to the ecosystem. Salmon is having trouble, many of its waterways are drying up due to heat, habitat destruction and logging. It is so incredibly important that we do everything in our power to allow the salmon to come back and thrive here again.

 

 

Drawing Willow did after learning about fishing from Laureen.

 

    We heard stories by Elder Randy L William, and it was riveting. He spoke of bear (skwalaqs) and his personal encounters with this spirit. He shared some old stories passed down through generations and how the Splatsin way is to share and care for one another. When Gloria Morgan shared some animated stories the kids giggled, and we were delighted when she brought medicinal tea from local plants to try.

Gloria in front of mat woven from cattail (Typha latifolia) 

On the weekend there was a special opportunity to learn about the various pictographs and the kids had a chance to draw copies of the illustrations. I find it fascinating to think that these rock paintings are so ancient. Their age is yet undetermined, but some have been suspected to be at least 6000 years old. Elizabeth Jean Brown made my imagination soar when she spoke about how the area where we now stand was completely under water at one point. What a different landscape it must have been!

pix of pictograph explanation plus pix of drawings by kids

The final workshop was a secwepemctsín language bingo and learning about ribbon skirts. The bingo was so much fun and Elder Jean Brown guided us patiently through how to pronounce words such as snawtes (wind), leka'pi (coffee), spyu7(chicken) and the ones that really tripped me up: ra7 xalacw (tooth) and tsallt (cold). It was a great time, and we had many laughs. Such a fun way to learn a language! 

language bingo plates 

Jean showing some ribbon skirts

The ribbon skirts were beautiful and imaginative. I loved the tassels on them (to symbolize the salmon fins) and the colour combinations. Gloria Morgan showed the skirt she had made to honour the missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls +. Gloria said that wearing the ribbon skirt and showing your pride in your ancestry is powerful and a great way to show the world how marvellous the Secwepemc culture is. 

Our family can't wait to learn more about the culture, and we feel so grateful for the generosity and openness by the community. It has been an honour to partake. 

Kukstsamc!

 

 

Foraging and Writing in the Wild Workshop Series Sep-Oct 2023

  

Starting on September 14th I have the honour of teaching a class on foraging and writing in the wild together with Teresa Proudlove.

 

Teresa’s writing is always honest and open. She looks at the world and reflects on it from deep within herself. I love how she doesn’t label anything as good or bad but rather sits with whatever reality she finds herself in, and how she uses her writing and journaling to find solace, guidance and truth. 

I met Teresa when she organized a writing circle in Armstrong a few years back and I found that she had a gentle way of encouraging and inspiring writing. Teresa firmly believes that each and every one of us have a unique voice; a voice that is needed in the world. Her eyes light up as she describes how a moment in the forest can provide inspiration for her writing, guidance in tough times, as well as solace and joy. She has a desire to share her inspiration to help others find healing and creativity through their own wild writer journey.

 

When we meet in the forest to plan the classes, the chickadees are flitting about above our heads and the cedars are cleaning the smoke-filled air from nearby wildfires. Connecting with nature and finding a way to express what’s in our hearts have never felt more pressing.

 

Teresa is passionate about working on environmental concerns and climate action. She is a member of the Armstrong/Spallumcheen Climate Action (ASCA) group and has used her powerful voice to write columns and information about how we can take climate action with the intention to inspire and show others how important it is that we care for our planet and for coming generations.

 

Teresa has been writing daily for over five decades and has published numerous articles and columns. She worked at the Okanagan College for 28 years as an instructor and as a facilitator with the Okanagan Indian Band for 6 years.

 

I am always learning something new when I’m around Teresa, and I’m delighted to be teaching this combination class of writing inspiration, nature and foraging. All my favourite things rolled into one.

 

Information about class and how to register, see below. We would love to see you!

 

Foraging & Writing in the Wild

 

Come inspire your writing creativity! 

Discover foraging in the wild!

 

You will connect more deeply to

your creativity & writing in a 

supportive setting through 

writing prompts, reflection, & games. 

 

You will deepen your intimacy with

the forest and your own wild writer

through foraging for and identifying wild plants.

 

Start Date:  September 14^th                 End Date:  October 5^th

Time: 4-6pm                                          Price: $80 (4 Sessions)

Location: 4528 Sleepy Hollow Road, Spallumcheen, B.C.

Ages: need to be able to read and write (9 years old +)

Bring: pen/paper, drinking water & suitable clothes/footwear for outdoors

Register: Foraging and Writing in the Wild Armstrong Spallumcheen Parks & Rec Guide, Pg 16 or call 250.546.9456 

Mikaela Cannon: mikicannon@gmail.com: columnist, wilderness guide & author, “Foraging as a Way of Life"

Teresa Proudlove: teresaproudlove@telus.net: facilitator, columnist & author 

https://www.myhealingjournal.ca/ 

Native plants in our yards

Taking a walk through the forest today I observed just how dry it is. It is hot and it is dry. Too dry. The drought and heat are killing the cedars. The Okanagan has a water shortage and the last three years have been tough on the forest. 

Watching people surround their houses with non-native species of grass lawns that they cut short and proceed to water with precious drinking water in the midday sun makes me sad and worried for our species. What are we thinking? Are we thinking?

What would you rather? Have a green lawn in front of your house? Or know that you are helping to conserve water for the benefit of all, give habitat to wildlife and native plants and give struggling pollinator species a chance to survive? 

What is more important? 

When you think that you don't have the power to change the world or make this planet a better place, think again! Every choice and action you make/take has an impact. 

Choose wisely. Our lives depend on it... truly.

I have been inspired reading Jared Rosenbaum's new book Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Edible and Medicinal Native Plant Communities. In this book he guides us through the various types of habitats and how you can have a beneficial impact on your surroundings by working together with nature in reciprocity. How you can help native plants come back and thrive in areas previously developed. It is detailed and filled with lovely lore about uses and facts about plants. It is a book you will want to have in your library as a reference for years to come. Find more information about the author and book at this link: https://wildplantculture.com/ 

In my latest article in Your Country News I speak about this topic. How we can create yards that are biodiverse, water wise and beautiful. You can find free copies of Your Country News in select locations in Armstrong and Enderby. Or you can connect with YCN on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/p/Your-Country-News-100063523994968/

Here is the article:

It Takes a Community…

By Mikaela Cannon

Armstrong/Spallumcheen Climate Action (ASCA)

 

 

It has long been customary for homes in North America to have large, lush lawns. Lawns first became popular in Europe in the 1700’s. They were a sign of wealth. Landowners needed many hands to keep their lawns short and could flaunt that they were so wealthy that they could use their land and staff for something as unproductive as a lawn. They brought this fashion to North America and the trend continued here, even though many places in North America were not suitable for maintaining a green lawn. The temperate climate of England or northern France is very different from the dry and hot climate of Interior BC.

For a lawn to continue to look lush over summer it needs an enormous amount of water. Water that we don’t have here. 

 

We no longer need to look to Europe for the latest fashion, we don’t need to follow anyone else’s idea of what our front yards ought to look like. We can design our yards with our bioclimate in mind, with what makes sense here. When we use native plants instead of non–native grass, we are planting vegetation that can handle our climate and are more water wise. Once established they’ll need less maintenance and less water. That’s more time at the beach, less time mowing. Sounds good to me!

During droughts, like the one we’re in now, lawns that are cut short look yellow and dry. To me, a more attractive yard would be one where part of the yard is used to grow vegetables or herbs and the other part native vegetation. Growing your own food makes sense when you think of the increasing cost of groceries. This way you have access to local, healthy and pesticide free food. 

Oregon grape- Mahonia aquifolium

 

Native bushes like Oregon grape, saskatoon, mock orange, red osier dogwood and ocean spray look absolutely stunning in a yard and both the Oregon grape and the saskatoon have edible berries. Ask your local nursery to help you find native plants suitable for your yard.

With a variety of plants rather than one type of non-native grass you will boost the biodiversity of the region. There are many scientific reports that alert us to the alarming fact that insect species world-wide are declining.  Some of the stated reasons for this decline are habitat loss and insecticides/pesticides. You can help them by growing a variety of flowers in your yard and by not spraying chemicals. 

 

If the neighbours are wondering why your yard looks wilder than usual, put up a sign to show that it’s intentional, or better yet, chat with them about why you’re changing your yard. Who knows, you might make friends and create community.

 

Contact me for a free sign for your yard (by artist Leslie Charman and kindly donated by the Chase Environmental Action Group. Handed out as long as the supply lasts). 

Let me know what you are doing in your yard, what tips to conserve water and encourage biodiversity can you share. I would love to hear from you. 

With Kindness,

Mikaela

Passive Cooling and Why We Ought to Avoid Using AC

In this moment, while I write this, it is blissfully cool and raining. However, the Weather Network’s prediction right now is that the summer conditions in western Canada will be hotter with above normal temperatures. Luckily it seems like the heat won’t be as intense for as long as in previous years and that we will get occasional reprieves with cooler weather. It is estimated that 619 people died of heat in BC during the heat wave of 2021. Most of those deaths were in housing with inadequate cooling.


Whatever the weather will be, it is good to be prepared to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and comfortable. It is easy to reach for that AC switch when the temperature rises. I want to show you why we should think twice about turning it on out of habit and some other ways to cool your house down that is better for the environment (and your wallet).

Excerpt from Scientific American magazine: 

"One of the great ironies of climate change is that as the planet warms, the technology that people need to stay cool will only make the climate hotter. By 2050, researchers expect the number of room air conditioners on Earth to quadruple to 4.5 billion, becoming at least as ubiquitous as cell phones are today. By the end of the century, greenhouse gas emissions from air conditioning will account for as much as a 0.5° C rise in global temperatures, according to calculations by the World Economic Forum."
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-prevent-air-conditioners-from-heating-the-planet/


Below is an excerpt from the Audubun Magazine about some of the problems with air conditioning:
"Current AC technology incurs another climate cost: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the industrial chemicals in AC units that cool our rooms. Once in the atmosphere, the five most commonly used HFCs absorb 150 to 5,000 times more of the sun’s energy than carbon dioxide does."

-Audubon Magazine
https://www.audubon.org/magazine/summer-2022/how-air-conditioning-creates-climate-conundrum

What our family is doing to keep our house and ourselves cool

We have put up a shade cloth on the west side of the house (where the sun bakes in the afternoon) and this has helped so much. By having the shade cloth over the entire west side and effectively cutting off any sun rays from hitting the façade I estimate we have cut the temperature in the house with more than 8°C. It helps to pull the drapes over windows on the side where the sun is as well. The cloth is not so pretty, but when the temperature gets up in the high 30s or 40s, I don’t care about pretty, all I want is a cool space to hide from the heat.


We open all our windows wide at night and close them all before the temperature rises in the morning. On really hot days we have fans to cool us in the space that we are in, making sure to close doors to any room we are not in. When the temperature really soars, we turn on our evaporative/swamp cooler and this has helped us.


Sometimes if we need to cool down quickly after being out working in the fields, we will take cool cloths or even ice packs and place them on our necks or in our armpits for a moment to quickly cool down. A quick cold shower works great too but could be a problem in drought-stricken areas if you take them too often.


Not cooking hot meals inside is another way to stop your house from heating up. If you have access to a barbeque to cook your meals over, it can make many memorable summer moments while keeping that heat out of your kitchen. Right now, I love vegetable skewers with chicken and squeaky haloumi cheese, with a side of green salad and watermelon.


There is the obvious solution to wear less clothes while inside your house. I have always wondered about buildings that they cool down so much so that everyone in them need to wear sweaters inside while it is blazing hot outside. How does that make sense? Why not shed a layer and cool the building less? This seems so simple, but our society sure likes to make simple common-sense solutions seem less attractive. Odd!

I remember being in Texas one summer and I ended up getting so sick with respiratory problems from constantly being freezing and having cold air blowing on me. Whenever I went to a restaurant, I asked for hot tea and they would bring me iced tea with extra ice. In order to get away from the AC where I was staying, I slept outside on a yoga mat on the balcony. Everyone looked at me as if I was crazy. I have never been so cold as that super hot summer in Texas, I think that is crazy!

Some ideas on how to keep your house cool 

Compiled for you by Armstrong/Spallumcheen Climate Action.

• Install a geothermal heating and cooling system that uses ground temperature to heat and cool houses via pipes underground. For some info see link: https://www.epa.gov/rhc/geothermal-heating-and-cooling-technologies
• Opening windows during cool times such as nighttime and morning and allowing for cross ventilation during this time. Closing all windows before the sun hits them to keep the cool air inside the house.
• Use dark blinds and drapes to block the sun from shining in through the windows.
• Install awnings on the outside of the house (especially on the south and west side).
• Use shade cloth to shade the south and west side of the house to stop the sunlight from shining on the house. Many farmers in the region have been using second-hand ginseng shade cloth from Shepherd’s Hardware Store to block the sun from their houses, barns and animal enclosures. 
• To add extra cooling, a transpiration, drip irrigation system can be installed together with the shade cloth to further wick heat away.
• Make an evaporative/swamp cooler by placing ice, cold water or a cold wet cloth behind your fan to create a cool mist. See diagram of a DIY swamp cooler and/or check out this link:https://www.backyardboss.net/diy-swamp-cooler/

• Use fans to cool the air and use existing extraction fans to pull heat from the house e.g., stove top and bathroom fans. Set ceiling fans to blow in a counter-clockwise direction for increased cooling effect.
• Ensuring adequate insulation in attics and crawl spaces and making sure that the hot air in these spaces is drawn out via fans.
• Change heat emitting lightbulbs to energy saving lightbulbs 
• Seal gaps and insulate your house to keep heat and cold out.
• Plant deciduous trees on the south and west side of your house that will allow for shading during hot summer as well as light and sunlight to enter the house in winter. 

• Trees such as cottonwood, plane trees, maples and catalpa can hold a lot of moisture and give shade at the same time as they can function as fire walls due to the moisture they hold. 
• Keep wetlands, creeks and parks from being developed. Green spaces are crucial to keep people cool and safe. 
• Ask for changed bylaws that insist on houses being built using passive heating and cooling systems and other energy-saving methods. Here is a link to webinars on the topic: https://www.efficiencycanada.org/empowering-municipalities-to-adopt-net-zero-building-codes/
• Learn about traditional ways of building houses in your area in order to make healthy and safe homes.
• Do research if a solar powered air conditioner can work for you. Link to info: https://cielowigle.com/blog/solar-powered-air-conditioner/

Imagining a better reality- it's possible 

There are many more solutions out there, and new and old technologies to explore. I think the most important part of this is to look at the impact of what we do and make sound decisions with all the facts at hand. Just because society, or everyone around you, does it one way doesn’t mean that you have to keep doing it that way, especially if it means that the planet suffers and that our climate will be hotter. We can imagine a better way to live. Why not make it the new normal to create passive cooling systems to cool us down, build our houses in ways that keeps us comfortable and safe while saving energy all year round?

Imagine a future where our homes are cooled down by the landscaping around and on the buildings. The gardens on our roof tops and on our façades feed us healthy food and cool us down while providing safe habitat to many endangered species. The buildings themselves can regulate the temperature using less energy and effort on our part. Our clothes might be designed to keep us cool while at the same time being completely biodegradable and carbon neutral. We work together with the ground and the winds to create healthy buildings with comfortable temperatures. Our buildings are built with natural materials that function in their region and we are safe from harmful chemicals. The material of our houses can be broken down and reused in the next building without creating any waste. Our system is a closed-loop system where everything can be reused, and nothing ends up in the landfill.

I don’t think this is an impossible utopia. I believe this is within our reach, this is possible if we want it. Do we want it?


Thanks for visiting my blog

I look forward to connecting with you again.

Mikaela

Talking Mushrooms with Brent Cox from Frosty Hollow Mushrooms

Recently my husband, Peter, took a grow-your-own-culinary-mushroom course with Brent Cox from Frosty Hollow Mushrooms. Since then, he has been slightly obsessed with growing mushrooms. We now have a patch of gourmet mushrooms growing in our forest. I love it! It is such a joy to watch the mushrooms grow from little nuggets to giant oysters.

Peter bought a bunch of mushroom compost from Lake Country Mushrooms and placed it in a shady spot in the forest and covered it up with hay. After the occasional watering we soon had the patch producing large, luscious patches of oyster mushrooms in varying colours. 

We are now eating mushrooms almost daily and we both cook and dry the mushrooms to preserve them for later. Countertops filled with mushrooms has become a common occurrence and the kids have been studying mushrooms as part of their homeschooling.

golden oyster mushrooms top

elm oyster mushrooms below

Brent talks about how mushrooms have the potential to grow abundantly in small places and that they can be a substitute for meat in a world where pressure on resources is higher. They can produce a large amount of food and contain beneficial minerals and vitamins. They also have that delicious umami flavour. 

Right now, Brent grows a variety of oyster mushrooms as well as chestnut mushrooms. He sells the mushrooms and the grow-your-own kits at various farmers' markets (Armstrong, Salmon Arm and Kamloops). Frosty Hollow Mushrooms also sell their mushrooms to various grocery stores in Salmon Arm. Brent remarks that it used to be harder to find gourmet mushrooms that were grown locally. Most of those mushrooms were imported from Asian markets before but now there are more and more small-scale, local farms growing a diverse range of mushrooms. 

oyster mushrooms growing on prepared grow your own kit- made from grain inoculated with mycelium

Brent is happy to share what he has learnt and is himself constantly seeking to learn more about this fascinating topic. There is so much more to learn about mushrooms, their importance in the ecosystem and how they can benefit humans. Brent plans to teach more courses on mushrooms this fall through the Armstrong Rec Centre. I’ll be sure to check out his courses. 

He also grows medicinal mushrooms such as red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma lingzhi) and Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus). Brent explains that the Reishi contains many B-vitamins and can help with heart and cardiovascular health. The Lion's Mane is helpful for brain and cognitive health and it can relieve anxiety and depression. In the future Brent also wants to grow turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and cordyceps for their medicinal properties. 

AIAO students- the Mycelium Mates

Not only are mushrooms beneficial as food and medicine, but they also provide a great service in the form of cleaning the environment and sharing nutrients with plants through their mycelium.

Recently I had a chance to speak with some students from Fulton's AIAO program in Vernon. They have been working hard over the last year to learn everything they can about mushrooms. Chatting with Aidan Spicer, Anna MacDuff, Jacob Adkins and Kayden Shaver is like talking with an encyclopedia in mushroom knowledge. They tell me intriguing facts about each fungus they have studied, and they comfortably name them by their common and Latin name. Their passion and interest are apparent. For their Care (Climate Action Ripple Effect) project they decided to focus on how mushrooms break down plastics. The students finish each other’s sentences as they explain the science behind how the mushrooms use enzymes to break down and externally ingest the plastic. You can tell that they have become used to sharing their knowledge and that they work well together presenting it. They have presented their findings at Okanagan Landing Elementary School, on Beach Radio, for the Vernon Naturalist club and they have another speaking engagement coming up at the Vernon Library.

 

They would like to take the project further and do a pilot study to see how mushrooms could work at the landfill. For example, mushrooms in the Pestalotiopsis genus work well in anaerobic environments such as landfills where dry, and oxygen poor conditions make it hard for things to break down. The students are now pondering which native species of mushroom might be suitable for a project like this and how to go about finding spores for it.

 

It is so exciting to think about all the ways that mushrooms can contribute to our lives. 

Both Brent and the AIAO students tell me that mushrooms can be used to make building material that are lightweight and completely sustainable. It blows my mind when I see structures made from mycelium bricks. Some of this knowledge have been known to mankind for a long time, it was already practised by the Incans. Here is a link to an article I found interesting by Environmental Planner and Housing Researcher, Maria Saxton: 

https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/mycelium-fungi-as-a-building-material#:~:text=Mycelium%20is%20100%25%20organic%2C%20compostable,been%20used%20for%20packaging%20purposes.

 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog. I look forward to connecting with you in the future again.

With Kindness,

Mikaela