Wed Sep 25 10:00:00 UTC 2024: ## Tiny Lanterns: Bioluminescent Fungi Found in North Carolina Forest
**Celo, NC** – A group of adventurers led by naturalist Tal Galton recently experienced a unique and awe-inspiring encounter with bioluminescent fungi in the deciduous forest of Celo, a small community land trust in western North Carolina. The group, on a quest to witness the glow of foxfire, discovered a tree trunk covered in the luminous mushrooms, a sight described as “an entire tree trunk covered in a glow that no one knows what to call.”
The glowing fungi, which appear as tiny, pinhead-sized umbrellas, were observed clinging to a dead ash tree. This sparked concern about the potential involvement of emerald ash borers, invasive insects that have devastated ash trees in North America.
While the exact species of fungi remains unknown, Tal Galton has sent samples to a mycologist for identification. There is a possibility that the discovery represents a previously undescribed species or a known species that wasn’t previously known to glow.
The encounter highlighted the importance of understanding the relationships between humans and nature, particularly in the context of “plant blindness,” a phenomenon where people overlook and underappreciate plants. The group’s exploration of the forest at night emphasized the vital role darkness plays in both nature and human perception.
“The thing is, most of us don’t see the world around us, not even in daylight anymore, really. Plant blindness. You’ve heard of it?” said Tal Galton, referencing the term coined in the 1990s to describe this phenomenon. He believes that human dependence on artificial light has contributed to a disconnect with natural darkness, obscuring our ability to appreciate the world’s wonders, including the luminescent treasures hidden within the forest at night.
The group, profoundly impacted by their encounter with the bioluminescent fungi, left the forest with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and mystery of nature, and a renewed sense of responsibility to protect both its natural wonders and the darkness that reveals them.
First Piper 