As usual, nature never ceases to amaze me! I have been walking in the woods quite a bit the last couple of weeks and am seeing so many mushrooms in areas where there were none in previous years and seeing mushrooms that I have never seen before!
I found my first blewit just a few days ago – it is quite a shocking purple inside and out and was absolutely beautiful! This mushroom is really not common in our area, and I have always associated it as being more of a coastal mushroom; something to be found in Terrace or Prince Rupert… unless the conditions are just right! All of our cool, rainy weather is making the weird and wonderful appear!
I am well educated in mushroom mycelium and how it lives and breathes underground and is invisible to us, but it is still fascinating and surprises me constantly! I recently watched a docuseries and heard one of the experts use the phrase ‘botanical wifi’ when describing how plants communicate with each other and I really liked that modern take to explain the sophisticated communication that both plants and mushrooms have with each other. So, that is what has inspired my blog this week! 🍄💚🌳
Nature's Internet & Botanical Wifi
Long before we sent our first emails, built Wi-Fi networks, or even imagined the concept of the internet, nature had already devised its own complex system of communication - mushroom mycelium. This vast network of fungal threads, hiding beneath the forest floor, functions much like the internet, connecting plants and fungi across entire ecosystems.
Mycelium is the vegetative part of fungi, composed of a network of fine, thread-like structures called hyphae. While mushrooms are the fruiting bodies we see above ground, mycelium is the true powerhouse that thrives underground. These hyphae spread through soil, decaying wood, and organic matter, creating a massive, interconnected network that links plants, fungi, and even microorganisms. It forms a natural communication system, connecting plants and fungi across wide distances, which is nothing short of extraordinary!
Think of mycelium as the internet’s infrastructure: a sprawling network that connects living things across vast distances, facilitating the exchange of nutrients and information. But mycelium is even more than that—it’s also the botanical Wi-Fi that allows plants to communicate and collaborate like a community of green tech geniuses! 🌱
How it mirrors modern technology is absolutely fascinating! Here are a few other comparisons that are just downright eerie in their similarities:
Interconnectedness Just as the internet links us to people around the globe; mycelium links plants, trees, and fungi underground. Through this fungal network, plants can share resources like water and nutrients, and even communicate with each other. For example, a tree suffering from drought can receive help from its healthier neighbors via mycelium. The healthy trees send water and nutrients through the fungal network to support the struggling tree. This network is so complex and sophisticated that entire forests may function as a single, unified organism.
In this way, mycelium acts like a biological version of the internet’s servers and cables, transmitting data (in the form of chemical signals) to keep the ecosystem healthy and balanced. It’s as if each plant has its own IP address, and the mycelium acts as nature’s fiber-optic cable, transmitting essential information and resources across the ecosystem.
You Need a Router to have Wi-Fi While plants don’t send emails or texts, they have their own version of wireless communication, and mycelium is the router. When one plant experiences stress, such as an insect attack or a lack of nutrients, it can send signals through the mycelium to alert neighboring plants. These signals act like a Wi-Fi network, allowing plants to "log on" and receive important updates about their environment.
Imagine a tree being attacked by pests. Through the mycelium network, it sends out a distress signal to other nearby plants. These plants then respond by ramping up their production of defensive chemicals to prepare for a potential attack. It’s like receiving a Wi-Fi push notification: "Warning! Pest invasion incoming—activate defenses!"
This communication isn’t limited to just trees. All kinds of plants, from flowers to shrubs, use mycelium as their communication network, making the forest floor a buzzing hub of botanical Wi-Fi.
Decentralization Like the internet, mycelium operates as a decentralized network. There’s no central hub or control system. The network forms organically, growing and spreading wherever it’s needed. This means that if one part of the network gets damaged—say, by a fallen tree or a flood—the rest of the system continues to function without interruption.
The decentralized nature of mycelium makes it incredibly resilient. It’s constantly adapting to environmental changes, much like how the internet can reroute traffic when servers go down or networks experience high demand. In a way, mycelium embodies nature’s version of decentralized computing!
Growth and Evolution Mycelium networks aren’t static—they’re always growing, evolving, and expanding their reach. When new organic matter, like a fallen tree or decaying leaves, appears in an ecosystem, mycelium quickly moves in to break it down and distribute nutrients. It’s like expanding your internet bandwidth to handle more traffic or streaming in high definition.
Mycelium’s growth is incredibly dynamic, ensuring that ecosystems remain in balance. It connects plants, fungi, and even bacteria, ensuring that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. This adaptability is one of the reasons why mycelium has survived for millions of years, long before humans even dreamed of the internet.
Mushroom mycelium isn’t just an underground fungal network; it’s nature’s original internet and botanical Wi-Fi system, quietly sustaining life beneath our feet. From nutrient sharing to plant communication, mycelium demonstrates the incredible interconnectedness of ecosystems. It’s a living example of how cooperation, communication, and decentralization lead to resilience and sustainability.
As we develop our own networks and technologies, we’d be wise to take a page from mycelium’s playbook. After all, nature has been "online" for millions of years, and its wisdom is waiting for us to log in.
So, next time you’re out in the forest, remember… the trees aren’t just standing there. Beneath your feet, there’s a bustling network of life, communication, and cooperation—a botanical internet that’s been thriving long before we ever clicked "connect." 🌐🍄🛜🌱
Another way to stay connected is to join us for this season’s Breath Therapy Classes which will be focusing on Your Breath, Your Spine and Your Energy Centers! It’s going to be a great year of focusing on opening up your spine and aligning your chakras! We are running an Early Bird Special until October 9th – click here for more information!
Much Love
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