Spring’s right around the corner, which is such an exciting time for nature lovers all around. This is a season filled with new beginnings, growth, fresh blooms, and lots of sprouting. The migrating birds return, ephemeral wildflowers appear, trees begin budding, plants pop up, and fungi begin sprouting! Believe it or not, fungi are actually everywhere, and they affect our lives everyday! From the mushrooms on your pizza, to life saving medicines, to the mold growing on your leftovers, to the microscopic organisms on pretty much any surface you touch - fungi are everywhere! However, most fungi are just microscopic and require magnification to see with the human eye. This is why mushrooms are so commonly known because they are one of the few species of fungi that are easily seen by the human eye without using any sort of magnification tool. Mushrooms are mysterious creatures! Not classified as either a plant or an animal, belonging to its own scientific kingdom, but yet essential for survival of all life. Fungi are the backbone of all life that we know on earth. Whether you’re looking to forage and cook them up, or you’re looking just to take a cool picture, mushrooms are always there and ready. You may have heard the terms mushroom and fungi before, and sometimes they are used interchangeably, even though this isn’t correct. The term mushroom is often used to describe a type of fungi that have gills, a cap, a stem, and it functions as the spore-bearing fruiting-body of a fungus, which grows deeper beneath the surface. Whereas fungi are organisms that lack chlorophyll and vascular tissue, and that survive by absorbing and decomposing organic matter. Fungi play a crucial role in nature, by breaking down and recycling nutrients from dead plants and matter into simpler compounds. The simpler compounds then become food for other organisms: this then causes fungi to form symbiotic relationships with other plants and animals in the ecosystem. Unlike plants, fungi do not have roots, stems, leaves, flowers or seeds. Instead, fungi have a mycelium (a root-like structure) which is a network of small, white filaments, and this is what allows them to absorb nutrients and water from the objects they grow in. Fungi are the most similar in structure to plants, yet they still differ significantly, therefore, fungi belong in their own kingdom of organisms. Severson Dells Nature Center is fortunate enough to have a beautiful display of mushrooms here. Throughout my few months being here at Severson Dells, I have been able to confidently identify at least 12 different fungi species within our forests, each of them thriving with a large population of mushrooms nearby! However, within the last few years there has been a growing concern about the decline of mushroom species found in Illinois, especially within our forests. A large majority of these population declines are due to over harvesting, habitat deregulation, and the expansion of urbanization and agriculture. As a result, fungi species are displaced from an ecosystem they were familiar and thriving with, to a foreign environment that no longer has favorable conditions for them, resulting in their disappearance. To conserve our remaining mushrooms, we must continue to manage our public and private natural areas and forests in ways that protect and maintain mushroom populations. We always want to caution people that, while it is legal to forage for fungi for personal use on Forest Preserves of Winnebago County preserves, not all fungi are edible and it is best to do your own research on fungi foraging. If you are curious about learning more on mushroom foraging, consider taking a class from a local expert or doing extensive research. The key to safe and sustainable mushroom hunting is education! Mushrooms Found at Severson Dells From fertile prairies to rolling hills and lush forests, Illinois offers a diverse landscape for mycology enthusiasts. Having such a variation of habitats makes Illinois an ideal location for mushroom hunting through all four seasons! Lots of different kinds of wild mushrooms typically begin growing in the spring, around late April to early May. However, not all mushrooms follow this pattern. Different species are more prevalent at different times of the year, but the majority do prefer the spring to fall weather conditions. Here at Severson Dells, we are fortunate enough to have many species of fungi and mushrooms that bloom here, and we appreciate them all! Let’s take a deeper look at the types of mushrooms found here: