SAT-A11: Magic Mushrooms: Improving Landscape Performance and Engagement with Fungi

Saturday, November 12, 2022

11:00am – 12:15pm PT

Location: Moscone Center, Room 207-208

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, ISA, 1 GBCI SITES AP, FL, NY/HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

Courtney Goode, ASLA

Principal
Goode Landscape Studio & Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island

Speaker(s)

Kate Kennen, ASLA

Owner & Associate Teaching Professor
Offshoots, Inc. & Northeastern University
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Jennifer Bhatnagar

Assistant Professor of Biology
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

The session discusses the past, present, and future of fungi in landscape architecture, including emerging science regarding mycelium, soil microbiomes, and mycorrhizal relationships. The talk explores the opportunities and constraints of working with fungi in green infrastructure projects, mycoremediation, stormwater management, mitigating tree mortality, sequestering carbon, and community engagement.

Learning Outcomes:

Develop a basic understanding of fungi’s role in the ecosystem, and the ecological services they provide.
Understand how fungi perform as an emerging green infrastructure technology to clean stormwater, increase nutrient cycling in soils, sink more carbon, improve moisture retention of soils, and stabilize steep slopes.
Understand the role of mycelium in erosion control, contaminant degradation, nutrient cycling, and supporting individual and community plant health.
Understand the conditions mycelium needs to thrive, and their limitations when being used as part of green infrastructure systems and other landscape architecture projects.