Fluorescent Forest: An Official Roots & Wings Festival Pop-up Event

ABOUT THE EVENT

We will explore the diverse, nocturnal ecosystem of Circle Acres with UV flashlights to look for night pollinators, glowing plants, fungus, lichens and more. You can purchase a UV flashlight for $20 from us and pick-up at the event.

Come early at 4 p.m. for a community myco sculpture making workshop and learn how to build healthy soil using recycled mushroom blocks. We will also be doing demos on how to inoculate logs to grow mushrooms and also break down logs so their nutrients can be returned to the soil. 

We will have a walk that emphasizes fungi’s role in transforming a former dumpsite into a thriving urban forest and the fungi’s larger role in climate change mitigation. Guests will learn how fungi is entangled in the forest helping plants gain water and nutrients, creating the pigments that give flowers their beautiful colors, to helping plants communicate with pollinators. We will have UV flashlights for you to see the diverse, nocturnal ecosystem in a new light. You can look for night pollinators, glowing plants, fungus, lichens and more. We will have a mothing light set-up to attract night pollinators. Learn more here about how some plants, mushrooms, lichens and insects have evolved color patterns that are visible in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic light spectrum, which humans cannot see but many insects, birds and animals can see.  

As always, we will be giving away recycled mushroom blocks, and warm reishi mushroom tea and snacks will be available. Get creative with glowing outfits, face paint and don’t forget your camera and tripod.

This event is free and part of the Roots & Wings Festival and has been made possible because of micro-grant. Registration and signed liability waiver is required to attend.

PARKING:

Park at Roy E Guerrero by Softball Fields and Walk East on Grove and follow signs to entrance to the Myco Research Station.

Volunteers needed: Help with decorating and break-down!