SchoolsEstela RomeroJanuary 02, 2021Mushrooms

Mushrooms, extremely important for our forests!

SchoolsEstela RomeroJanuary 02, 2021Mushrooms

THE VISIT.-

The biggest group of elementary and middle school students living in these low surrounding valleys and hillsides to “Sierra Chincua” Monarch Sanctuaries gathered today. After the rudimentary revision on the names of our forest trees and fruit trees, stressing on forest trees and telling how unique Oyamel forest spots remaining are, how special Oyamel trees are for Monarchs and how they contribute to the forest micro-climate ideal for them, the Symbolic Migration went onto a topic determinant for forest trees and the equilibrium for our local ecosystem in general: our local mushrooms. “We have our main mushrooms season from June to November, when the raining season takes place, don’t we?, --Estela addressed the group--. “Oh, yes!, wee love the summer because we all in the family go into the forest to collect mushrooms to eat; granny and grand-pa still have to show mom and dad how to identify eatable mushrooms”, --one of the oldest girls in the group said--. “I will tell you the names of our most delicious mushrooms: the first ones to come are “Clavitos”, then “Tejamanileros” and “Tecomates” altogether with “Gachupines”;, “Trumpets” and “Ears” come right away, but we like them a little less; last, “Elotes”, and in lower and warmer latitudes, “Azules”, mmmm, delicious with, potatoes and nopales and a very hot chili-sauce dressing with warm, corn tortillas!, mmmm!… but the ones we love more than any others are the mushrooms in the corn-cobs, the Huitlacoche! warm corn tortillas as quesadillas filled with cooked Huitlacoche !” --a boy and a girl complemented the list to each other--. “We love to visit our neighboring town, “Senguio”, where the annual Mushroom Festival takes place every mid-August!; my family and me mostly walk there, it is only a couple of hours walk; who of you have attended the Mushroom Festival in the summer there?”, a boy asked his classmates and continued: My Mom is participating in the show teaching cooking lessons right there to visitors!, so, so many people come from far away cities and Biology students and researchers from Universities in big cities!”. A girl proudly told the others: “My granny is a cook every year at the festival!” Then Estela continued: Well, I will tell you that mushrooms do much more than being a delicious dish for us humans during the raining season; that is why so many science experts are doing research on them and are coming here to visit and see them too!. We have over 300 mushroom species growing in our forests around Monarchs’ overwintering spots, both eatable and non-eatable. What else do you know about mushrooms?, --Estela awaited to hear more participations. “I heard the other day that some of them are used for making medicines”, --a boy raised his hand as he commented--; “my grandpas’ say they are the signal of a good raining season and abundant water storage and humidity in the forest”, --another boy completed--. “Excellent; you do know about mushrooms in the forest!, --Estela encouraged--. “Mushrooms are a large and very powerful kingdom; They are a large kingdom actively working all year round; trees absorb lots of nutrients and water through their own roots, beneath the earth; roots of trees are covered with microscopic mushrooms which help roots collect nutrients and roots compensate mushrooms providing with sugar they love to get. This mutual help is called “Micorriza” or mycorrhiza. All these nutrients will run upwards in the “Savia” or sap of the tree (like its own blood) and will contribute to the tree growing strong and forming a high quality timber, and so on… Mushrooms are determinant to the health of our local ecosystems!. They do much more; we shall talk more about this in our next meeting next season!. Ohhh!, Woooow!, Aaahhh!, they all kept mouth open and eyes frozen and wide open… not noticing we had been together for over three hours!!!.