Can you identify the fungi growing on the trees below? Are they mushrooms? What general observations can you make about the wood on which they are growing? What differences do you see between them?  Notice that many grow like shelves or brackets Examples are turkey tail or chicken of the woods. Others may be capped, like shitake or oyster, or even resemble a jelly like substance.

Learn about the life cycle of a mushroom and the symbiotic relationship between mushrooms and trees on the video below. Go here for full screen viewing.

After watching the video, can you identify the stages of the mushroom’s life cycle below?

I’ve come across some other mushrooms on recent walks. This has to be the largest mushroom I’ve found!

I believe this is a cauliflower mushroom.

Some other fun finds! Is a mushroom a plant or an animal? Right, neither! How do you know? I am amazed by the diversity in color, size, shape, and texture!

I discovered this mushroom on a recent trip to France.

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Learn More About Mushrooms (Links to stories, informative videos, and an art project.)

Make a mushroom pizza with your students or children. Visit a grocery store and observe the different types of mushrooms in the produce section or purchase a mushroom growing kit. Go here for more information.

Fall is an ideal time to search for mushrooms in the woods but be sure to warn students not to eat the mushrooms they find. Go here for full screen viewing. I see a foraging class in my future.