Primary school children are using mushroom fungus to design an unusual art trail. Pupils from Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay are making the art from so-called "mushroom plastic." Made from reishi mushrooms and hay - the material is light, biodegradable, and can be molded into any shape.
Organizers hope the children will be inspired by using the next-generation substance, which is described as low-carbon and non-toxic. Described as a kind of "mushroom polystyrene," Adam Cooper from Threads in the Ground - the organization behind the project - says the material has plenty of uses in the fight against climate change. "We're using a cutting-edge eco-material made using fungus.
All the children have been designing their own living sculptures from this material." He said: "74% of adults experience climate anxiety, and we're making more opportunities for people to play and experiment with climate change ideas."
The root structure of mushrooms, when combined with food waste or sawdust, can turn the humble fungi, when compressed, into construction materials, such as brick-like or insulation panels.
To create their models, the pupils pulped a mixture of straw and fungus to fill a pre-prepared mold, which the fungus colonizes by expanding and growing in the space.
Read the entire article at BBC News