‘Fungi colour wheel’

Fungi never fail to inspire me – for one: their mesmerising range in colours.

Last autumn, I had the privilege to step in as a guest teacher at a primary school. Together with a friend we taught a class on colours in nature. The kids (ages 8-10) were already jumping at the prospect of a colourful treasure hunt (despite the grey toned weather). But our lesson started indoors first.

Careful not to essentialise we talked with the kids about certain signals colours can give off (e.g. toxicity), functions they can fulfil (e.g. camouflage), and the colourful changes we can see particularly in autumn. Aided by the treasure hunt with all sorts of autumn leaves, chestnuts, feathers, and pinecones, our focus was on attentive noticing with the kids. There is so much to notice if you look closely. Each leaf contains an entire range of colours in itself; no such thing as just ‘brown’.

Circling back to colourful fungi: a little project I’m working on – in the same vein of close noticing – is compiling 1000+ macro photos I took of mushrooms in the Veluwezoom forest, into a graphic colour wheel. I think it’d be an amazing sight; one that invites close noticing ever more.

While my colour wheel is a digital work-in-progress, have a peek at this rainbow of colourful fungi I’ve encountered:

Best viewed in desk-top version

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