Symbiosis

4. Undiscovered mycorrhizal fungi

There are millions of fungal species on Earth and only a little part has been discovered and described yet. In this exercise participants try to imagine which species of organisms from the kingdom of fungi are there waiting to be introduced. 

Age: 6+
Duration: 45 min
Materials: Sheets of paper for writing, water-colour papers, water colours, brushes, water, pencils, mushroom guides and encyclopedias, Mystery of the mycorrhizae -memory card game.

Instructions: 
Let participants choose papers and start to paint as many fungi species as they wish. To each of the paintings they will be asked to remember to paint also their mycelium network and write a short story about this (yet) undiscovered fungus.
 
Story shall include: 
Scientific name (genus, species), common name, characteristics of size, shape, smell, taste, type of environment where fungi grows and with which plant or tree they possibly form mycorrhizae.

Tips: 
– Together with the participants, you can display all the works on wall and create an exhibition space, and add there a short fact-based introduction (pdf) to the world of mycorrhizae and symbioses.
– If you do have time we recommend you start before this exercise with an introduction to the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants by listening to our audio track Vascular Plants and Pine (3:20min) or Fungi (2:40min). You can also watch this animation about Mycorrhizae and afterwards talk with participants about interactions happening in the soil (10min) and continue with playing Mystery of the mycorrhizae -memory card game (30min).