Recently the children and I went on a fungi hunt. The photos in this post are just some of what we found.

The word fungus doesn't usually make us think of fun nature study. In fact if you're like I was before learning about it, the word conjured up sorta unpleasant thoughts, to be honest. Now, I'm proud to say that I've become amazingly interested in studying all about fungi. Seriously, it is truly fascinating! I've come to find that fungi aren't just associated with things that are bad, there is actually a whole lot of good about them and without fungi as our "clean-up crew", our earth would be in big trouble.

So just what is a fungus anyway? People sometimes think of fungi as types of plants, but they are not. In fact, for a long time scientists grouped plants and fungi together. That was until the invention of the microscope which brought into focus and made perfectly clear the differences between plants and fungi. Fungi hang out in one place like plants do, and mushrooms in particular grow in soil just like plants do, but they aren't green and they do not make their own food using the sun like plants do. The truth is that fungi must seek out their food just the same as humans and animals do. But they aren't animals! And, they don't all grow in soil either.

Fungi seek out their food in living and dying things such as dying and dead plants and trees. They are essentially a clean up crew and take care of breaking down, or decomposing things, otherwise they'd lay around and pile up for a very long time.

So because of these facts and others, fungi has gained a place in the scientific world in it's own category, the Fungus Kingdom.

Fungi come if various forms from the familiar mushroom you may have seen in your yard or on your pizza for that matter, or the fungi sprouting on a dead tree trunk or even the lichen growing on living trees. Other members of the fungi kingdom are mold, such as you see growing on that old piece of food in your fridge, and also the yeast you use to make homemade bread. And of course there are really less desirables ones too such as the ones that cause serious illnesses as meningitis and the nuisance of athlete's foot.

Another thing that makes fungi different from plants and animals is the smallest part of every living thing, the cell. Plants and animals are made up of various types of cells. Plants have different cells that make up their leaves, stems and roots. Animals have different cells, like we do, that make up their heart, lungs,etc. Fungi are different because they are single-celled, their cells are all the same. Plant cell walls are made up of cellulose, while fungal cell walls are made of chitin, the same substance that forms the tough outer skeletons of insects and spiders.

This is just an introduction to the world of fungi that I've been learning about! As I said above, it is very interesting and worth learning more, just as everything in God's creation is!

On our walk, we found many different types of fungi, such as this sac fungi, some type of elf cup mushroom, I think. They were so tiny.

And this furry white fungus that was growing on a small fallen branch.

Oh, and look, Gabby found a mushroom right on her shirt!! 

In other news, my posting has slowed down for two reasons, our very fast, but obviously injured computer crashed this past week, and I am temporarily using a very painfully slow computer until the other returns from being fixed, and Cindy and I will be headed to the Lexington Homeschool Fair this Saturday to set up a booth for Shining Dawn Books, and that has had me plenty busy in preparation. If you are anywhere near Lexington, be sure to stop by and see us!