Fungi Blog

Positive fungal news from last year to start this 2026

We want to start the year with good fungal news, sharing some of the things we worked on in 2025. From international policy advances to new research projects, ethical ethnomycology, artistic collaborations, documentaries, and growing public engagement, our work reflects a shared momentum to ensure fungi are finally seen, valued, and protected as a fundamental part of life on Earth.

The Mushroom Keepers: A Journey Through Meghalaya's Fungal Wisdom

Watch out first documentary on ethnomycology in India, a film that offers a powerful reflection on cultural loss, and a call to protect both fungal biodiversity and the ancestral knowledge entwined with it.

Wild Mushroom Precaution: CITUC and Fundación Fungi Warn of an Increase in Poisonings

So far this year, the Toxicology Information Centre of the Catholic University (CITUC) has already handled 28 cases, 12 of which occurred in April alone. By comparison, by the same date last year, a total of 18 cases had been reported, with only 4 in April.

Fungi Foundation Calls on CITES to Strengthen Controls on the Fungal Trade to Reinforce Fungal Conservation

This effort seeks to fill a significant gap in international conservation initiatives by recognising and protecting fungi alongside flora and fauna.

Another Fungal Year: Highlights from 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to share and reflect on a year full of milestones, global collaborations, and innovative initiatives that further our mission to elevate fungi as essential to life on earth.

Los Cedros Cloud-Forest: A Legal First for Nature’s Creative Rights

In a first legal attempt to recognise an ecosystem’s creative rights, the MOTH Collective submitted a petition to Ecuador’s copyright office to recognize the Los Cedros cloud-forest as the co-creator of a song.

Chile and the United Kingdom present an innovative initiative to protect fungi at COP 16 on Biodiversity

“Kingdom Fungi Conservation Commitment” is the name of the initiative that seeks to position fungi as an independent, prioritised kingdom of life within multilateral biodiversity agreements.

At last! Funga could make it into classrooms.

We are filled with hope that this curriculum proposal will become a reality and that soon girls, boys and teenagers throughout Chile will become the naturalists we so desperately need.

Don’t be misled!: Fundación Fungi calls for caution regarding consumption of the mushroom *Lepista nuda*

New data collected by the Fundación Fungi confirm that Lepista nuda is not a single species, but rather a group of species identical to one another.

Autumn in Chile together with our education programme

This season, our education programme expanded knowledge of the fungi kingdom through talks in schools and training sessions for teachers and educators.

The story behind the rediscovery of the Gran Puma Mushroom

It is a fungus that had only been seen once in 1982, and which was rediscovered in the Nahuelbuta mountain range by the Fundación Fungi.

Mycelia: Inside the Creation of a Magical Fungal World

We spoke with Danielle Caners, the visual artist behind the breathtaking ‘Mycelia,’ about her creative process, inspirations, and her work in general.

The Art of Noticing: A workshop designed to encourage appreciation of fungi’s form, function and beauty

At the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Wisley, in the heart of the UK Surrey countryside, Gemma Hardy and Jassy Drakulic led a workshop to address ‘fungal blindness’.

Mycological CV in Portuguese: Official launch during the Brazilian Congress of Mycology

The Fundación Fungi attended Brazil’s mycological congress.

National Geographic Society includes fungi in its definition of “wildlife” and premieres the short film “Flora Fauna Funga”

Historic! Fundación Fungi celebrates the pioneering progress of the National Geographic Society

Fungi Education 2023 Year-End Wrap-Up: Cultivating Minds, Spreading Spores

The Fungi Education 2023 Year-End Wrap-Up highlights the Fungi Foundation's accomplishments, including a remarkable surge in course enrollment, the publication of a Spanish curriculum, collaborations with partners like North Spore and Syzygy Science, and impactful outreach efforts in the tri-state area. The program's success is attributed to global support, and the Foundation anticipates continued growth in spreading fungal knowledge.

2023 recap: a successful year working for the fungi

This year has been filled with milestones, and we are delighted to share them. Here’s a glimpse of some of them.

Wonders at STANYS 2023: Inspiring Educators and Students Alike!

The 2023 STANYS conference in Syracuse celebrated fungi education with engaging presentations by Diana Richards from the Fungi Foundation. Teachers embraced free resources and received mushroom grow kits, fostering a new appreciation for mycology in classrooms. This marked a milestone in the foundation's mission. Stay tuned for more updates on their educational initiatives.

Irma Gamundí: a legacy for mycology

Irma Gamundí was an outstanding Argentine mycologist, botanist, curator, illustrator, science communicator and professor. Her legacy reaches all those who love, study and protect the Kingdom Fungi. In this blog, we tell you about her life and career.

What did your grandparents tell you about mushrooms?

Help us to uncover and recognise the ancestral uses of mushrooms. We have catalogued more than 200 traditional uses of mushrooms in 45 different countries, creating a global ethnomycological index based on public information, in order to protect this valuable knowledge. We are now seeking to incorporate knowledge that has been passed down from one generation to another through oral history.

Inspiring the Youngest: A Day Dedicated to Fungi at Foundry Montessori School

At Foundry Montessori school in New York, Diana Richards from the Fundación Fungi led a fascinating educational journey through the world of fungi, sparking the pupils’ curiosity and encouraging creative learning during an enjoyable day.

For the Love of Fungi Mushroom & Arts Festival, New York

The "For the Love of Fungi" event at Stone Mountain Farm in New York featured educational activities, guided mushroom forays, art, cooking demonstrations, and a focus on the importance of fungi in ecosystems, leaving attendees with a newfound appreciation for these remarkable organisms.

Training future enthusiasts: what does the Fundación Fungi Education Programme consist of?

More information about our educational programme.

Unearthing the hidden kingdom: the quest for fungal education in our schools

By recognising the ecological role of fungi, their medical potential, and their agricultural benefits, we empower students to be environmentally aware and to contribute innovatively to a sustainable future.

An adventure full of mushrooms

Diana, the education lead at Fungi Foundation, takes a group of enthusiastic middle school children from Team Wilderness on a captivating mushroom exploration hike, sparking their curiosity about fungi’s ecological roles and forging lasting connections with nature.

Flora Fauna Funga: 2023 Updates

The case for adopting the "3rd F" is gaining momentum. Review the latest news about it.

Searching for a “lost” species: the case of the Gran Puma Fungus

The Gran Puma Mushroom, which has not been recorded for more than 35 years, may have been rediscovered by a group of mycologists from the Fundación Fungi.

Students for the fungi kingdom! They ask the president for schools to include fungi in their classes

25 students from Pucón, aged between 9 and 10, wrote a letter to President Gabriel Boric to formally ask him to ensure that all boys and girls in Chile have the opportunity to “learn about and get to know” fungi.

Six Months of Progress: Fungi Education Programme Reaches New Milestones

Committed to outreach and knowledge of the fascinating fungal kingdom, we are delighted to share the remarkable progress made by our Fungi Education Programme over the past six months. Our global reach and enrolments, the expansion of educational resources, successful outreach efforts and collaborative initiatives have propelled our programme to new heights.

10 reasons why fungi are crucial to the planet

Fungi may hold the key to reversing what we’ve broken, but we only know about a tiny fraction of all the biodiversity and magic of this kingdom. They are plants’ best friends, they heal us, they are responsible for numerous scrumptious foods, and they make sustainable biomaterials.  We owe them life as we know it and we could not exist without them. On this #EarthDay we chose ten reasons why fungi are crucial for life on the planet.

‘Dark Taxa’ and New Discoveries

The discovery of wide genetic variety in fungal species previously thought to belong to the same evolutionary lineages, termed “cryptic species' ', has prompted scientists to re-visit traditional scientific naming systems and call for more research into fungi taxonomy. But what is the best way to reconcile traditional scientific naming systems with new methods of species identification?

5th Grade Fungi Education Lesson in New Jersey

New species of “magic mushroom” named by a Chilean-American duo in honour of the legendary Paul Stamets

The mycologist Paul Stamets’ 40-year career inspired the character of Lieutenant Stamets in the series “Star Trek: Discovery”, made him the protagonist of the documentary *Hongos Fantásticos*, and has now been immortalised with the species *Psilocybe stametsii* (Dentinger & Furci, 2023).

Our free mycological curriculum is ready!

What if students all around the world had the chance to learn about fungi, their possibilities and the important roles they play in every ecosystem? That is the question we want to answer with the Fungi Education Program.

Fungi Education Year End Review

A recap of Fungi Education’s first year!

Butyriboletus loyo: surviving extinction

We want to celebrate a decade of work by looking back on what these intense, wonderful and productive years have been and share these memories with you with some Fungi Foundation Chronicles. Here's the story about one of our favorite species: Butyriboletus loyo.

Fungi Education at Foundry Montessori Preschool

A write-up about our visit to the Foundry Montessori preschool in Cold Spring, New York!

NYMS Fungus Festival

A write-up about the October 2022 Fungus Festival in NYC that we participated in!

Fungi Foundation: 10 cycles around the sun!

This month we get to celebrate our 10th anniversary! We’ve come a long way and the road has been joyous, challenging, and fulfilling. We want to take a trip through time to remember what 10 years of working for the fungi have been like.

"For the Love of Fungi" Event

A write-up about ‘For the Love of Fungi’ event that we participated in!

Campers Learn Fungi Education at the Nature Place Day Camp

A write-up about our August 2022 trip to the Nature Place Day Camp in NY!

Fungi Exploration with Team Wilderness

A write-up about the Fungi Foundation's recent lesson with Team Wilderness!

Coloring You: Fungal Art Contest 2020

A write-up about the Colorearte 2020 Contest and the Fungi Foundation’s involvement

Activities With Kids in Southern Chile “The Truth of the Woods”

A writeup to one of our school visit in Southern Chile

Education Tour in Chilean Patagonia

A writeup of our June 2022 Education Tour in the south of Chile

Fungal Advocate receives NatGeo's Leadership Conservation Award setting a historical precedent for Fungi

Giuliana Furci, Foundress and CEO of Fungi Foundation, becomes the first mycologist to win the National Geographic Conservation Leadership Award.

Teaching Fungi Education: Hands-On Activities for Every Child

Recap of our May 2022 Webinar

The world of mycelium in a New Jersey Classroom

A recap of our April 2020 school visit.

Re:wild and IUCN SSC Become First Global Organizations to Call for the Recognition of Fungi as one of Three Kingdoms of Life critical to Protecting and Restoring Earth

Environmental groups and the Chilean Ministry of Environment join the Fungi Foundation in committing to promote inclusive " fauna, flora and funga" language and ensure that fungi— which are critical to all life on Earth—are integrated into conservation strategies

The Influence of Hallucinogenic Mushrooms on Christmas

The story of Santa Claus is not the creation of Coca-Cola, nor Saint Nicholas or a children’s story, it exists because of a small living being with great powers: the Amanita muscaria mushroom.

Old-growth forests: the importance of ecological ancestry

An old-growth forest is a biological treasure that has formed over the course of a millennia-long ecological succession.

Fungi Foundation Global

Fungi Foundation goes global; Chilean non-profit opens US chapter and incorporates international board members.

The Urgency to Protect Fungi

With an estimated 10% of fungi species known, it is necessary to know what type of fungi there are and what role they play in their habitat in order to protect ecosystems.

Bosque Los Cedros: Un avance legal para el reconocimiento de los derechos creativos de la naturaleza

A Look Back at 2022: A Year in Review

A free mycological curriculum, a cover in Science Magazine, an article in the New York Times, new partnerships and collaborations and much more!

Open Letter on the crucial role of fungi in preserving and enhancing biodiversity

Read why forests could not exist without fungi, which lie at the base of the biodiversity webs that support much of life on Earth.

What is a fungarium?

The FFCL Fungarium has samples from all over the world and houses close to 2.000 species collected from Chile. It's a great treasure, find out why.

Chanterelles and Family Traditions

Discover how fungi are part of Lithuanians family traditions and cuisine.

María Sabina’s earthly journeys

Who was María Sabina, and how did she change history?