Today I have visited an exhibition on fungi. It was really impressive for several reasons:
1. The largest organism ever found on this planet is a fungus: Armillaria ostoyae
2. 80% (or even more) of the worlds biomass are decomposed by fungi
3. And other stuff
This made me forget, that yesterday, when I walked past the Bauernbergpark Man, I found him crying bitterly. However, the exhibition reminded me of how fragile our ecosystem is and how many complicated aspects of symbiosis, parasitism and equilibria it includes.
It makes me wonder about the unbelievable interconnectedness of all things, and of course about my role and the Man's role in all of this.
Yesterday, after passing the crying Bauernbergpark Man, my dog defecated into a decayed group of Coprinaceae. This at least is the narrative connection between fungi, the Man and me. Does that make sense?
One day, I walked through a forest near my hometown (Yes - the one with the Bauernbergpark) I encountered a single Coprinus atramentarius which is unusual because I think they normally grow in groups. Next to it there was a toilet brush. The picture of the biofact and the artifact, that somehow resembled each other, stayed in my mind for a long time.
What was there before? The mushroom or the brush? From an evolutionary perspective the coprinus is much older. But who will survive as the fitter one? The mycelium of the fungus is a tough match even for a metal toilet brush. I fear that someone will cut the trees there, so that the mycelium must die. The toilet brush will live on happily ever after.
The purpose of this is that one day the Bauernbergpark Man will read this, and simply will stop crying.
My problem is, that I am pretty sure that a warm sleeping bag and a few warm words would be much better.
