Fun with Fungi

Fungi Fun

http://herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/FunFacts/factindx.htm

http://www.backyardnature.net/f/2fungi.htm

"Beautiful mushroom" always seems like an oxymoron to me. But lately I have noticed a really, well, showy mushroom - shiny and deep brown, and I have wondered what it is.

These sites are good for starting to learn about mushrooms and other fungi. On the first site, don't miss the time-lapse movie of a mushroom growing, right on the home page.

On the second site, go to this page:

http://www.backyardnature.net/f/mush-id.htm

and scroll down to the bottom for instructions on how to make a "spore print," which sounds like a fun art activity even if you aren't trying to identify a mushroom.

And if you 're thinking of eating your finds, heed this warning from the second site:

"A person really can kill himself or herself by eating the wrong mushrooms."

More Nature for Kids and Families