book: Paul Stamets 1 jan 2005

Mycelium Running

How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

Mycelium Running is a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That’s right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you’ll find out how.

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Cover Mycelium Running - Author: Paul Stamets, 2005. Part of the Paddestoelen Paradijs Library.

The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called “mycelium”--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium’s digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening).

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll find chapters detailing each of these four exciting branches of what Stamets has coined “mycorestoration,” as well as chapters on the medicinal and nutritional properties of mushrooms, inoculation methods, log and stump culture, and species selection for various environmental purposes. Heavily referenced and beautifully illustrated, this book is destined to be a classic reference for bemushroomed generations to come.

Mycelium Running is a main source of information and inspiration for the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition at Mediamatic. We have used the book to help us grow our own mushrooms and learn about all the different ways that we can use mushrooms and mycelium to help the environment.

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Paul Stamets - Paul Stamets, mycelium researcher, holding an Agarikon mushroom ([[Laricifomes officinalis ]]) Dusty Yao