"Curiouser and curiouser!", Alice famously exclaimed in Lewis Carroll's 1854 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. As the world around her became increasingly extraordinary, she declared it was "curiouser and curiouser". Perhaps she was simply looking at nature from a new perspective. The deeper we explore the living world, the more remarkable it becomes. 

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We are fortunate to be the proud parents of a delightful and intelligent daughter who has given us a brilliant son-in-law, a magnificent grandson (yes, we're biased), a very sweet and affectionate grand-doggy (still biased) and in the next few weeks a new baby girl (still yet to be named...and yes, we will still be biased in our opinion of her).

 

In thinking about what it means to be a grandparent, we considered memories from our many friends who became grandparents long before we did, their advice, their observations, and of course, our own grandparents were greatly influential as well.

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Naturally, we wish the normal "good things" for all of them: health, happiness, success, etc. But there was one thing we were, and are completely unanimous with. We never want our grandchildren to feel boredom.

We have been involved, personally and professionally, with the natural world for our entire lives and have now dove deeply down the "rabbit hole" that is the world of mycology. Each study of nature is, in and of itself, awe inspiring. Anyone who has had their curiosity peaked as a child (or as an adult) by nature knows that the possibilities of learning new information is boundless...especially when it comes to nature.

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With so much to learn and so little time,  it seems a profound misuse of precious time to ever feel or express boredom. A good teacher knows that it's important to pass on knowledge but it is divine to pass on curiosity. 

 

Not long ago we gifted our grandson a soft, cuddly stuffed animal known as an Axolotl...we admit that we had never heard of an axolotl prior to picking it as a gift. That being the case we had to investigate. Talk about mind blowing! It seems an axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an aquatic salamander that exhibits neoteny (another term we were unfamiliar with) meaning it retains juvenile traits into adulthood. It also possesses unparalleled regenerative powers: capable of perfectly rebuilding entire limbs, spinal cords and even sections of its brain!!! What that might indicate in the future of medicine for helping the human condition could be enormous.

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So many things in the world around us are as remarkable and we decided to share just a few to spark our readers curiosity.

 

Here are but a few wonderfully curious tidbits we have come across:

• Many of you have sent pictures of one of my favorite odd plants asking what is it’s story? Ghost plants (Monotropa uniflora) are a completely white, translucent plant (not a fungus). It has zero chlorophyll producing qualities. Instead of generating food from the sun as most plants do, it lives thanks to nutrients provided by mycelium (underground fungal networks) called the Wood Wide Web which also allows plants to communicate.

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• Ghost finger mushrooms or Dead man fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) are a creepy fungus that looks all the world like real zombie fingers coming out of the ground!

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• Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) of which there are over 350 species cannot walk they can only fly, visit over 1,000 flowers per day, have over 900 feathers, travel thousands of miles and there are so many more unusual facts you could study them forever!!!

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• Clown fish (Amphiprion) are all born as males and according to need can change sex and become female (cannot however turn back into males).

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• Crows (Corvus) remember faces, use tools, have been taught in France to pick up cigarette butts (which unbelievably in 2026 is still the number one pollutant) and deposit them in a container to receive a treat!!!

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• Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) has been scientifically proven to heal humans. This Japanese practice encourages slow, mindful immersion in nature. Studies have shown that this can lower blood pressure, boost moods and enhance immune function by exposing participants to breath forest air and encounter natural stimuli.

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• Over 25% of modern medicines originated from plants. Many untapped plant species are still undiscovered and a vital frontier for future medical breakthroughs.

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• The tongue of a blue whale can weigh as much as an adult elephant, and its heart can weigh as much as a small car.

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• Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) In addition to many other unusual qualities, did you know that they have such similar fingerprints to humans that they can accidentally smudge and create mix-ups at a crime scene investigation?

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Frankly, we could go on forever with all of the incredible possibilities to discuss and discover about the world around us. Hopefully, these few flashes of curiosity have piqued your interest to find out more for yourself.

The magic of enchantment is waiting right outside of your door, no matter where you live.

Knowing and appreciating the natural world is not a virtual experience.

We truly hope that you can share the exciting aspects of this amazing universe with your grandkids, children, friends, family members, anyone and everyone, so that they may never experience ennui!!!