Sidmouth in Blooms theme for this year as set out by the RHS Britain in bloom 2010 is ‘Local Roots’ Their campaign is gathering momentum for a medal attempt in this year’s competition, making the most of Sidmouth’s rich history, they are eagerly requesting volunteers to offer a few hours of their time. Contact Sidmouth in Bloom 01395 579965
Trees for the Byes Campaign
Kaieteur is organising the next local tree campaign ‘Trees for the Byes campaign’ collecting to add trees to the local beauty spot, The Byes in Sidmouth Devon. Please help by donating here.
The planting of trees is one of the best long term solutions to increasing biodiversity. To help celebrate 2010 International Year of biodiversity you can buy tree saplings from kaieteur here, or donate to help us plant them on your behalf here.
How fungi - mushrooms - mycelium can help save the world
Fungi or mushrooms are the fruiting body of the mycelium network.
Fungi decompose and absorb a huge variety of nutrients and elements. In doing so they produce fertile soil, naturally carry out the process of carbon capture and with there symbiotic relationships with many plants and trees also help lock even more carbon into the plant structure, by helping them grow quicker.
The mycelium spreads out through the soil and other organic materials to help breakdown and assimilate compounds. In fact mycelium grows into such an intricate network, left untouched by human intervention fungi can become the largest organisms on this planet.
The complex network of mycelium often works symbiotically, sharing the micro nutrients it has produced with the trees and plants which have produced carbohydrates through photosynthesis (something fungi cannot achieve). Mycelium also shares symbiotic relationships with bacteria, sharing valuable chemicals.
TED
The guru of fungi, Paul Stamets presents this TED talk, putting forward excellent evidence of how valuable to the earth these organisms are.
Trees grow on Mushrooms and natural carbon storage techniques
Chris Rhodes highlights an important fact in his blogpost March 22, 2009 ( which can be read here )
He points out that plants which have mycelium surrounding their root structure when young, establish and grow with better vigour because of their symbiotic relationship. The mycelium acts as an extension to the root system with obvious benefits.
So Tree saplings being prepared for reforestation projects would benefit enormously if the natural partnering fungi can be attached at an early stage. Leading to improved growth in the tree and therefore storage of carbon, whilst the mycelium itself helps to lock up huge amounts of carbon in the soil.
Chris has also summarised some of Paul Stamets work in this blog post
Carbon Storage
The Department of Ecology at Lund University, Sweden has a project looking at how mycelium helps store carbon in the soil. This highlights the many benefits of leaving naturally formed soil structure wherever possible. Details of the project can be viewed here.
Mycelium plays a huge part in the cleaning up of pollutants we produce in our modern lives. The process is often called Mycoremediation. Mycelium with symbiotic relationships with bacteria can break down substances which can be toxic if left unchecked.
‘Many species of mushrooms are actually powerful bioremediators, natural organisms that help break down pollutants. They colonize contaminated soil, and then secrete enzymes that break down the offending chemicals into nontoxic components. The result is clean soil and lots of mushrooms.’
London Olympic 2012 have been using bioremediation processes to clean land. See this link.
‘The bacteria, fungi and other microbes will completely clean this soil without any waste being taken to landfill as part of the green, high-tech clean up of the Olympic Park.’
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