Photo Credit: Courtesy Katy Ayers

Environment USA3. May 2020

What Replaces Plastic in the Future? Maybe Mushrooms!

A student in Nebraska, USA believes fungus can help solve some of the world’s key climate issues – and she’s built a canoe out of mushrooms to prove it.

Katy Ayer’s canoe is specifically made of mushroom roots called mycelium, which is both resilient and waterproof. The 28-year-old explains that mushrooms are useful in many ways, not just for making furniture but also for replacing plastics and other hard-to-recycle materials, insulating households and breaking down harmful chemicals.

“Mushrooms are here to help us — they’re a gift,” says Ayers, who built her boat as part of a college project at Central Community College in Columbus. “There’s so much we can do with them beyond just food; it’s so limitless. They’re our biggest ally for helping the environment.”

Part of a growing movement of mushroom advocates, Ayers’ main intention for building the canoe is to raise awareness about the usefulness of mushrooms and how they can help tackle many environmental issues. Now, Ayers is taking on a new research project that involves building bee hotels from mycelium.

Source:
NBC News

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