Have fun with Basket Fungi

Fungi/LichensPreschool Fun
Written By Kim Manunui

We think that basket fungi are one of the coolest fungi that we find here in Taupo! We find them popping up in the winter and looking very impressive, like white net balls. They appear near woody debris, in lawns, gardens, and cultivated soil. They are not poisonous, so are fine for kids to play with, BUT they are a bit slimy and stinky, so you’ll want to wash your hands after touching them. In fact, our Māori ancestors used to eat the outside of the ball that is around the young fruiting body before they emerge as baskets. We don’t recommend trying this though! Basket fungus is a type of stinkhorn fungus. The smelly slime inside the basket (the mature fruiting body of the fungus) is to attract flies to help spread the spores. Fascinating!

When you find a spot with basket fungi popping up, look for them in all their stages. You might find little balls that look like golf balls. This is the unopened fruiting body of the fungus. If you see a little bit of the basket starting to pop out, give it a pull and watch as the big basket emerges like magic!

Click HERE to read more about these fascinating fungi. Or, read on to see a fun activity below that you can try if you find a basket fungus.

We tried this cool activity that we found on the Science Learning Hub website. We loved it! If you find a basket fungus, carefully pick it up and bring it home. Put a balloon inside it and blow it up until the basket fungus is firm around it. Don’t blow it up too far, you might break the fungus. Hint: you might want to hold your nose when you do this, or use a pump!

Leave the fungus in a warm dry place for a few days. We put ours under our heat pump. When you can see that it has dried and the balloon is pulling away, carefully pop the balloon and pull it out. You’ll notice that the basket fungus has dried like a net ball! In the photo above, you’ll see the difference between one that dried around the balloon and one that dried without a balloon. Isn’t it cool! Give it a go if you find some basket fungi and let us know how yours turns out.

Kim Manunui

Hi, I’m Kim and I work with a great team to help individuals, as well as small and not so small businesses get their message, product and services to the world using digital media and creating wonderful websites that don’t cost the earth.

I was born in Canada, and grew up around Vancouver and the mountains of British Columbia. My love of pristine environments led me to New Zealand and eventually to the mountains, lakes and rivers of the central North Island which is home. My family’s heritage is here, and it’s from here that Korio traverses the planet.

The digital world is never static and neither are we.

And I say ‘we’ because I work with an awesome group of talented people who I gather together as required to complete a project.  Whatever your business, not-for-profit or individual needs are we gather the best team to get the job done.

Collaboratively we are creative, share sustainable values and work hard for great outcomes because that’s the buzz of satisfaction that drives us.

If you have an audience and market to reach, we can make that happen. Creative design, words that work and smart behind the scenes stuff that cuts through the online noise. We’ll design your website and then build it. We’ll manage the content as well as all your hosting needs. We can handle your online advertising so you get noticed,
and we’ll manage your social media presence so you get the clicks, likes and engagement to grow your business. All within the budget you set, because none of this needs to cost the earth.  And the job doesn’t stop when your website goes live. We are your virtual business partner.

https://www.korio.co.nz
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