Walkshop – Unruly Renegades

Many of a forest's vital processes happen beneath the soil, out of sight. However, their are clues to the clandestine collaborations between fungi and plants and animals. In this walkshop, natural historian and environmental photographer Alison Pouliot, takes us deep into the forest to discover its diversity, explore ideas and rethink fungus-forest lives.

Mushrooms cropping up between pieces of wood.

Photography: Dr. Alison Pouliot

Register to join the walkshop here

About the walkshop:

Many of a forest's vital processes happen beneath the soil, out of sight. However, their are clues to the clandestine collaborations between fungi and plants and animals. A fallen log provides a ‘forest archive’ of interactions. Each organism leaves its own ‘tracks and traces’ as well as hints as to how they interact.  If we look closely we can see the workings of these organisms as they dismantle, recycle and convert wood to soil. This tuning to the interrelations between them provides a whole other way of thinking about and understanding the forest. 

Two mushrooms deep in a green forest.
Photography: Dr. Alison Pouliot

How do symbioses – or mycorrhizas as they are known – work and support soils and forests? 

What other types of symbioses such as parasitism can we recognise and how do they also underpin healthy forests?

Forest ecosystems and their mycorrhizal networks also provide useful allegorical frameworks for re-imagining human societies. The decentralised nature of fungal mycelium can offer interesting insights for the emergence of new kinds of relationships and collaborations. 

This walkshop takes us deep into the forest to discover its diversity, explore ideas and rethink fungus-forest lives.

If you want to prepare a bit for the workshop, you can watch a short six-part video series here called "The Forgotten Kingdom" (each video is only 4 or 5 minutes in length). 

This workshop is the second of two event organised by the Anthropogenic Soils collaboratory and Alison Pouliot. The first event, Workshop & Foray - Dirt Matters, will take place on Tuesday, 18 October, from 12-17. Register here to join the workshop.

About the presenter:

Portrait of Alison PouliotDr Alison Pouliot is an ecologist, author and professional environmental photographer with a focus on fungi. Her work spans both northern and southern hemispheres ensuring two autumns and a double dose of fungi each year. Alison is actively involved in teaching, research and conservation, and has conducted over 700 fungus forays and workshops in a dozen countries over the last two decades. Alison is author of The Allure of Fungi, co-author of Wild Mushrooming, and her new book on fungi, Underground Lovers, will be published in March 2023. 

Fungi and Photography: 

Some of Dr. Alison Pouliot's photography.

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Tags: Environmental humanities, Ecology, Soil, Anthropocene
Published Sep. 28, 2022 2:33 PM - Last modified Feb. 24, 2023 12:47 PM