Deep in the heart of New Brunswick’s vast wilderness, a team of intrepid researchers from the New Brunswick Museum (NBM) and beyond gathered for the 7th annual NBM BiotaNB expedition.
Their mission? To uncover the hidden treasures of the province’s biodiversity-rich forests, one species at a time. For two weeks, the team braved the unforgiving terrain and pesky mosquitoes of the Nepisiguit Protected Natural Area (PNA), one of the province’s 10 largest protected areas. Among the many fascinating discoveries they made was a diverse array of mushrooms, each one a tiny but mighty enigma waiting to be solved.
Meet Amanda Bremner, Curatorial Assistant for Botany and Mycology at the NBM. With a keen eye for the minute and the mysterious, Amanda has spent years studying the often-overlooked world of fungi. “Mushrooms are like little puzzles,” she explains, holding up a delicate specimen of Amanita muscaria var. guessowii. “They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but each one has its own unique story to tell – if you know where to look.”
Amanda’s fascination with mushrooms is well-founded. The genus Amanita, to which this particular species belongs, is home to some of the most beautiful and charismatic mushrooms in the world, as well as some of the most deadly poisonous ones. “Amanita jacksonii, for example, is a delicious edible,” she notes, “but its cousin, Amanita amerivirosa, is commonly known as the ‘Destroying Angel’ – and for good reason.” The distinction between dinner and danger is a fine one, highlighting the importance of proper identification when foraging for wild mushrooms.
So, how do mushroom experts like Amanda crack the code of identification? The answer lies in the spores – tiny, dust-like particles produced by the mushroom’s cap. By collecting a spore print, researchers can gain valuable clues about the mushroom’s species, size, shape, and even color. But it’s not as simple as just dusting off a cap and examining it under a microscope.
To demonstrate, Amanda pulls out a mushroom from the family Psathyrellaceae, commonly known as the “inky cap” family. Gently placing a piece of the cap on a slide, she waits for the spores to mature and leave their mark. The resulting print is a tiny work of art, a delicate network of lines and patterns that reveal the mushroom’s secrets to the trained eye.
But you don’t have to be a professional mycologist to try your hand at spore printing. With a few simple materials – a mushroom, some paper, and a bit of patience – you can create your own spore print at home. Just place half of the mushroom cap on white paper and the other half on black construction paper, cover it up, and let nature take its course overnight. By morning, you might just have your very own spore print to examine.
Of course, spore printing is just one tool in the mycologist’s toolkit. Amanda has a few more tricks up her sleeve, including a range of chemicals that can help narrow down a mushroom’s identity. By applying a tiny drop of each chemical to a small piece of the mushroom, she can observe the reaction – or lack thereof.
In the case of this particular Russula species, the results are nothing short of dramatic. One piece of the mushroom turns a deep red, while another turns a deep green, and a third begins to take on a rich, earthy brown. Each reaction provides a vital clue, helping Amanda to whittle down the list of possible species until, finally, the mystery is solved.
But the journey doesn’t end there. Once a mushroom has been identified and studied, it’s time to preserve it for posterity. That’s where the NBM’s state-of-the-art drying rack comes in. By carefully controlling the temperature and humidity, the team can dry the mushroom to a delicate crispiness, locking in its intricate details for generations to come.
As the last of the moisture evaporates, the mushroom is transformed, its fragile cap now a permanent record of the forest floor’s secrets. It’s a testament to the power of human curiosity and the importance of preserving our natural heritage – one tiny, fascinating species at a time.
