FOLLOW THE RAIN mission accomplished
Planet Fungi wishes all our followers a wonderful festive season and start to 2024.
And to finish off our 2023 adventures in the fungal realm, we have some great news to share.
This week we received a wonderful gift for the Kingdom of Fungi.
Michelle Marie Bailey, a philanthropist from the US, has donated not only the remaining dollars we needed to reach our FOLLOW THE RAIN crowdfunding outreach target but some additional funds that will fully finance a study guide for schools and tertiary institutions, and a “how to” handout on pathways to study mycology.
Michelle Marie Bailey chose Phallus indusiatus as our mushroom pic for December.
This species is grown commercially in China and sold as both an edible and medicinal mushroom. P. indusiatus is reported to have been consumed in Mexican ceremonies in response to its suggestive shape. Tribal people of New Guinea consider the mushroom sacred. In Nigeria, the mushroom is given the name Akufodewa which refers to how the mushroom's stench can attract hunters who mistake its odour for that of a dead animal. It is reported to be rich in protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Stephen photographed this one in Assam in India. The tip was covered in a gooey brown slime, that smelled like rotting meat, attracting flies and other insects, who waddle around and then fly off spreading spores far and wide. A very creative reproduction strategy .
Michelle Marie Bailey is a former teacher, and can’t wait to see the teaching tools visit local classrooms with the documentary.
With Michelle’s generous support, and the support of all of you who have donated to the crowdfunding campaign, we now have the funds to start making a real difference for the Kingdom of Fungi.
We are extremely grateful and thank all of you big hearted humans.
Michelle’s and your donations, are invaluable to the success of our outreach efforts.
Here’s how your support will make meaningful impact for fungi in 2024:
Creation of a study guide to accompany the FOLLOW THE RAIN documentary with curriculum based activities for schools. This will educate young people about the Kingdom of Fungi and raise awareness about its critical role to life as we know it.
This study guide will value add to classroom screenings of FOLLOW THE RAIN.
Creation of a pamphlet - Pathways to study mycology to assist those wishing to study mycology at a tertiary level.
Targeted screenings for decisions makers in collaboration with AMS, Fungimap and Taxonomy Australia to raise awareness with Government about the critical importance of the Kingdom of Fungi, funding gaps, and benefits of increased funding for taxonomy.
Targeted screenings and workshops for community groups and events in Australia and internationally.
If you are interested in supporting more research and fungi advocacy work you can donate directly to:
Australia - FUNGIMAP - Fungimap map the distribution of fungal species around Australia with the help of citizen scientists. They spread the word about the ecological importance of fungi, advocate for fungal conservation and investment in mycology, provide online field guides and tools for identification. And they hold events and training in fungal identification. Donate here
International - FUNGI FOUNDATION - The Fungi Foundation is a global organization that enables the world to understand the opportunities and wonders of Fungi by facilitating the exploration, discovery, documentation, conservation and preservation. Donate here
Another gift this week was the announcement that FOLLOW THE RAIN was selected as the December winner in the categories BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM and BEST DOCUMENTARY CINEMATOGRAPHY at the LOS ANGELES CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS. We won’t know if we’re selected for the main Festival in November 2024 until august next year. Fingers crossed. This the first of many Australian and International Festivals we have entered.
We will announce the date and venue of the world premier of FOLLOW THE RAIN in our next newsletter.
Marasmius bambusiniformis - Assam, India.
DECEMBER PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
The forest can sometimes be a cluttered place for getting a good photograph of your fungal character.
To help you get it to pop out from the background, this month we’re going to focus on lighting and backgrounds.
Make sure both your mushroom subject and your background are in shade - we carry an umbrella that is useful for this (and keeping rain off your gear), but you can also shade with your body.
Choose a position where the fungus is as far away from the background as possible. Increasing that distance will throw the background out of focus.
Choose a position where the background is darker than your subject and if possible compliments the colour.
Remember to upload your photographs and observations to iNaturalist
to help expand the knowledge of species identification and distribution.
Download our free How to photograph and describe my fungus field guide.
For more advanced photography tips you can stream Stephen Axford’s
Masterclass in macro fungi photography
or watch this free video on YouTube about Focus bracketing with the Sony α7R V.
This time-lapse of a Marasmius sp is featured in the Sleep’s Hill Tunnel experience @ Adelaide Fringe Festival
PLANET FUNGI @ ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL
16 FEBRUARY TO 17 MARCH
SLEEP’S HILL TUNNEL
Sleep’s Hill Tunnel is shaping up to be one of the most unique and must-see events at the Adelaide Fringe in 2024.
This one-of-a-kind immersive experience is set to captivate audiences by bringing to life a forgotten piece of Adelaide's history in an abandoned tunnel in the hills.
This exclusive event offers a rare opportunity to explore Sleep’s Hill Tunnel, a hidden gem on the old Adelaide-to-Melbourne rail line that is now a heritage site. Sleep’s Hill Tunnel promises an unforgettable journey through time. Visitors will be guided through the historic rail tunnel to discover a 350-metre long journey of light projections that chronicle the tunnel’s transformation from a steam train passageway to a mushroom farm.
The experience in the tunnel include unique time-lapse footage and phenomenal projection installations by various artists.
Videographer and photographer, Stephen Axford from Planet Fungi, renowned for his captivating photography and time-lapse videos, brings the tunnel's fungal history to life. His enchanting imagery of fungi, featuring a kaleidoscope of colourful forest species, provides an intimate look into the world of these mysterious organisms. Through his artistic lens, the birth, decay, and intricate network of fungi are transformed into visual poetry, offering a mesmerising blend of art and science.
Also featured in the tunnel is the installation, The World Beneath Our Feet, which transports audiences into the incredible world of life in the soil underground; this piece was a hit at The Barbican in London last year.
Sleep’s Hill Tunnel by Anastasia Comelli, 2023
Director of Adelaide Fringe, Heather Croall said, “ It’s so exciting to see such an innovative project premiere at Fringe. The Sleep’s Hill Tunnel experience fuses history, art and technology in the most stunning way, it will be a memorable immersive experience for everyone... especially for those who are fans of tunnels, trains or mushrooms ... which I think is almost everyone!”
Sleep’s Hill Tunnel is not just an event; it's an exploration and a rediscovery of Adelaide's unique history through the lens of contemporary art.
For more information, and to purchase tickets to Sleep’s Hill Tunnel, visit
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/sleep-s-hill-tunnel-af2024
Adelaide Fringe is a world-renowned, annual arts festival that celebrates culture, place and art in all forms.
MUSHMERCH
Planet Fungi calendars for 2024 are still available.
Feast your eyes on magnificent fungi in this richly designed calendar. The Miraculous Mushroom is a tribute to these amazing organisms, such as the drought-defying resurrection mushroom and the wood-coloring green stain fungus. Informative text accompanies each vivid photograph, and elegant graphics identify the fungus’s culinary, medicinal, and other known properties. Learn fascinating fungi facts while savoring each artful portrayal of this diverse and ecologically critical marvel of nature.
"I was looking at mushroom calendars on Amazon and saw this one. Definitely the best quality one available, by far!" - Alan Rockefeller
They are also an ethical calendar as many materials are recycled and the wonderful Amber Lotus Publishing has to date planted over one million trees. In 2023 alone, they planted more than 20 times the number of trees that were used to create the products.
Your purchase as always will support Planet Fungi's advocacy work for the Kingdom of Fungi. You'll find them at Amazon and many local suppliers.
There are also T-shirts available on our website including Stephen’s popular Fungi Fetish line.
IMAX DOCUMENTARY - FUNGI WEB OF LIFE
Over the past few years Planet Fungi has been collaborating on the Imax documentary - Fungi: Web of Life which is rolling out into IMAX cinemas across the world.
It is presented by Merlin Sheldrake the author of the bestseller "Entangled Life - how fungi make our worlds", and narrated by Björk, who speaks the story with inimitable magic and sensitivity.
The film is about the ways that fungi have shaped life on Earth, and how we might partner with them to adapt to the radical change of our times.
It features astonishing time-lapse photography from some of the best fungal photographers working today, Planet Fungi's Stephen Axford, Patrick Hickey and Wim van Egmond. Much of this footage depicts aspects of fungal life that have never been captured in such high resolution before.
The film is trickling into IMAX cinemas, and may already be playing at a theatre near you.
Click here to find out where it is currently screening.
If you do not see a theatre near you on the list, please check with your local science centre's IMAX®, Giant Screen, or fulldome theatre about their latest exhibition plans for Fungi: Web of Life.
Narrated by Björk, presented by Merlin Sheldrake, distributor K2 Studios, produced by Stranger than Fiction Films and Definition Studios, directed by Gisela Kaufmann and Joseph Nizeti, written by Catherine Marciniak and Joseph Nizeti and cinematography by Cam Batten.
We had a brief flush of subtropical fungi in early December. This is one of a number species whose family tree is currently being investigated.