Unearthing Curiosity: A foray for fungi

Article written by Cassandra Barbosa

The musky scent of the hardwood forest infiltrated my senses. The earth's softened ground gave way to cradle each carefully calculated step I took in search of the unknown. Peeling back layers of decaying fallen leaves, a petite speck of red beckoned for my attention. A discovery was to be made, a question was to be answered, a new obsession was imminent...

Fungi have always captivated me. The intricacies of the mycelium is an art form. A living thing that, despite its plant-like stature, is more closely to us humans is an awe-inspiring concept. These powerful heterotrophs play a starring role in the decomposition of organic material. Consuming and recycling nutrients, they aid Mother Nature in her cleaning duties. In the same instance they are nourishing themselves, they are providing sustenance for others. Mushrooms are a culinary delight. Providing a characteristic umami flavor, they round out a dish with elegance. Be warned, of the 14,000 mushroom species described, only about 2,200 are edible. Fungi and mushrooms possess powerful medicinal uses predominantly used in eastern cultures. Some, however, can easily lead to one's demise... Absolute fascination at its finest.

In 2020 when my journey in life led me to a small town I had never heard of, Red Oak, I quickly became aware that southwest Iowa was devoid of opportunities to connect with the natural world. Iowa is fortunate to have 99 counties, and in each of those counties sits a conservation board. Each board has its own set of goals, tasks, and responsibilities. Many of the boards hire what is called a naturalist. I am Montgomery County's naturalist. My role in the community is to provide environmental education via programs to all who are eager to learn. After 5 years of serving Montgomery County, I have learned much of the culture of rural Iowa and the things that grab people's attention. Mushrooms are a point of unity in the minds of rural Iowans. A mycologist is one who studies fungi and mushrooms, but a mycologist I am not. I am sent many pictures by many people seeking my identification knowledge. Most contain tracks and scat, but some contain mushrooms and fungi. These folks are often trusting me with their life as they wish to dine on their discoveries. Though I am not completely ignorant to mushroom and fungi species, I am not a mycologist. The Prairie States Mushroom Club, however, is filled with Iowa mycologists and I was fortunate enough to hop on the most splendid email chain. The Prairie States Mushroom Club was planning forays in western Iowa to expand their outreach and to collect data on species present in our neck of the woods. After some minor planning, an event was scheduled for May 25, 2025 to explore the depths of Hacklebarney Woods County Park in Villisca.

A foray was the term the club used to describe our journey into the depths of the timber in search of the elusive fungi of Montgomery County. Merriam-Webster defines a foray as "a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory". I suppose that might be a term to describe our wanders through the poison ivy filled forest that was swarming with deer flies and mosquitoes. Hostile territory indeed. Hacklebarney Woods is a native 230-acre woodland tract filled with hickories, oaks, and other hardwood trees. Our communal goal was simple: find fungi. Mere moments into our foray we found 3 different species- Juniper-apple rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae), hexagonal polypore (Neoflavus alveolaris), and splitgill (Schizophyllum commune). Though I may sound well-versed in the latin Carl Linnaeus used to classify organisms in the 1700s, I assure you I am not. Members of the mushroom club were entranced in their own world, spewing latin and "common" names left and right. I was hooked. I wanted to be them. Confident in identifications, speaking ancient languages, and content with life's fungal offerings. Though I coordinated the event, I was happy to step out of my role as the educator and become the student. The experts encouraged us to look closely at the ground, peer deep into the soul of a fallen log, and uncover layers of the forest... The musky scent of the hardwood forest infiltrated my senses. The earth's softened ground gave way to cradle each carefully calculated step I took in search of the unknown. Peeling back layers of decaying fallen leaves, a petite speck of red beckoned for my attention. A discovery was to be made, a question was to be answered, a new obsession was imminent... "You found Sarcoscypha, nice!" a calm voice that belonged to Sarah DeLong-Duhon congratulated me on my discovery. Sarcoscypha is the genus for scarlet cup fungi. Sweet, petite, red cups that seem to follow footsteps. I snapped a picture of my find, and with a childlike admiration, presented it to Sarah. She gave me a warm smile and encouraged me to keep looking for more of nature's curiosities.  Though I learned my discovery was not a rare one, I felt as if I had discovered gold. For decades, I have lived in ignorance to the existence of these small beauties. Blazing like a ruby struck by a ray of sunlight, these fungi stood out among the dull leaves of the forest. It made me wonder what other treasures I would find on the trails and paths I have explored for years.

I felt silly that in all my years of naturalist-type work, all the times I had encouraged my students to look beyond what they see, I hadn't followed my own instruction until that little Sarcoschypha coccinea whispered my name. Some of life's biggest gifts come in small packages. To be enthralled with those little wonders is a skill I believe we lose as we emerge into adulthood. The childlike innocence is lost to the harsh weight of the world. To step into a forest and become immersed by a new world that seemed almost mythical rekindled the relationship with a younger version of myself I didn't know was lost. Whether you choose to depart on a foray for mushrooms in a forest or dissociate into the natural abyss that thrives in your backyard, feed your inner child and look beyond what you see. Fall in love with discovering something new...

I hope I leave you eager to dive deep into your local ecosystems and unearth your own curiosity. Remember to explore safely and leave only footprints.

With love, Critter Cass

Thank you to the Prairie States Mushroom Club for leading an exciting foray. Species we found included wood ear, bird's nest fungi, ink caps, scarlet cup, rusts, polypore, splitgill, amber jelly, and more. Curious about mushrooms? Visit iowamushroom.org and explore the club's offerings.