How mushrooms can save the world

Whether it’s removing oil spills in the Amazon or fighting pandemics, scientists are only at the tip of the iceberg in exploring how these organisms can heal the planet, writes Jack Dutton

Shroom boom: More and more scientists are looking to fungi to prevent the effects of the climate crisis (Getty/iStock)

Sonoma County was not spared by the 2017 California wildfires, which upended hundreds of communities and burnt down more than 1.5 million acres of land across the state. Scores of homes were destroyed as plastic and toxic chemicals permeated the air, devastating ecosystems and livelihoods.

Sonoma stood out because, unlike other counties, it used oyster mushrooms to help repair the damage. The grassroots Fire Remediation Action Coalition placed more than 56 miles of wattles – straw-filled tubes laced with the mycelium of oyster mushrooms – around the county. Mycelium, a threadlike, vegetative part of a mushroom, was able to help restore the natural habitats back to health. The wattles formed channels, diverting the toxic waste from unspoiled land to the fungi, which would digest it and convert it into nutrients.

There are an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi, many of which have inhabited Earth for more than a billion years. Although these organisms have been around for longer than humankind, scientists have barely scratched the surface in exploring their potential. A report released last week by The UK and Ireland Mushroom Producers Group outlines how mushrooms will be vital for the survival of our planet, whether it’s through restoring ecosystems destroyed by wildfires, facilitating nutrient cycles, capturing carbon or simply helping ensure a healthy and long life.