Fungi are trending. Whether for food, medicine, industry, ecology, or art, mushrooms are getting more of the attention they deserve. Beyond such practical considerations, many people just get a kick out of knowing what those strange things popping out the ground are called. However, with over 2,500 species in Michigan alone, putting names to mushrooms can be a real challenge. Many people recognize puffballs, but did you know that puffballs are not a coherent taxonomic group?

In 2014, John and Tory Parlin donated 230 acres to UPLC east of Sand River and just north of M-28 in Alger County. This wilderness sanctuary is now Tory’s Woods Nature Preserve. Featuring three miles of trails through mixed forest and sensitive wetland habitat, Tory’s Woods is a popular destination for birding, wildflower viewing, and snowshoeing. It is also a place to contemplate the resilience of our Upper Peninsula forests. John Parlin coauthored Harvesting the Wilderness,

As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, the Upper Peninsula's forests shift from green to a tapestry of reds, oranges, yellows,...

I am finding the intensity, importance, and urgency of what many in the field are calling ‘nearby-nature’. I myself have never been one...