THE ENCHANTED NATURE NEWSLETTER
Issue 40
July 2024
Greetings Enchanted Nature Community
We hope that you're enjoying the enchantment of nature and staying cool. Enjoy our latest issue of
The Enchanted Nature Newsletter.
Made in the Shade
"Ces arbres qu’il plante et à l’ombre desquels il ne s’assoira pas, il les aime pour eux-mêmes et pour ses enfants, et pour les enfants de ses enfants, sur qui s’étendront leurs rameaux."
- French theologian Hyacinthe Loyson 1866
Translation: These trees which he plants and in whose shade he will not sit,
he loves for themselves and for his children, and for his children's children,
over whom their branches will extend.
Hello Enchanted Nature Community,
If you're working or playing outdoors with summer temperatures at record levels, stepping out of the direct sun into the shade of a tree (or a forest) can feel like walking into air conditioning. Trees can cool a city by up to 10ºf. Shaded surfaces may be 20–45°F cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials. If you haven't enjoyed the shade of a tree lately, please take the time to do it in the heat of a summer afternoon. Enjoyment leads to appreciation. Appreciation leads to love and love leads to protection. Trees are our partners. They clean air, clean water, and cool the planet.
Nasa released a study showing that July 22, 2024 was the hottest day on record. July 21 and 23 were also record setting days. Earth needs to deploy every tool at our disposal to turn back the tide of climate change. Protecting and planting trees needs to be part of the plan.
If you're interested in other benefits trees provide: https://www.arborday.org/trees/treefacts/
From Our Readers
We are grateful for your contributions!
Your photos make The Enchanted Nature Newsletter more interesting for the community.
If any of you see anything enchanting in nature, take a picture and please send it along.
Eileen Feim shared some enchanting photos this month.
Above we have Hormomyces aurantiacus, commonly know as the Red Jelly-Spot Fungus.
WOW! This is a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus
perched on a Coneflower, Echinacea sp.
The male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has a yellow with black striped pattern.
The females, which are the larger of the two genders, can have the yellow and black coloring or morph with the blue and black that you see above. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is the state insect of Virginia and the state butterfly of Alabama,
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Delaware.
Above we find Jack O'Lantern mushrooms, Omphalotus illudens.
These mushrooms contain the same chemical as lightning bugs: Luciferase.
If you spotted these in a dark environment and allowed your eyes to adjust, you might find them glowing.
Not only do the mushrooms glow, so does the mycelium.
It must make quite a show for underground dwellers like worms and moles.
Cory Egger submitted this wonderful photo of American Lepiota mushrooroms (Leucoagaricus americanus).
It is a magnificent illustration of the developmental phases of this mushroom.
Below, he provided a pic of Radulodon copelandii, commonly called Asian Beauty mushroom.
This is a non-native first found by J. Ginns and Lawrence Millman in Massachusetts in 2009.
It is of concern that it may be an invasive fungi.
While it looks like it should belong in the Hericium genus (think Lion's Mane mushroom),
it is actually a crust fungus.
Thank you for your submissions! May the forest be with you.
Remember, if you can't get enough fungal fun,
Check out the articles at the
Please send us your pics and queries:
adventures@enchantednaturetours.com
You can also text your pics & questions to (540) 324-8778.
From The Writers
Below we have two Leucocoprinus cepaestipes mushrooms.
The common names are Onion Stalk Lepiota or Onion Stalk Parasol.
We see them at different stages of maturity.
This mushroom begins with a convex cap/pileus and ends flat with the gills
exposed to spread spores efficiently.
Above we have a couple of "Little Brown Mushrooms" also called L.B.M.s by mycologists.
What is interesting, is the millions upon millions of white spores lying beneath and around them. The job of mushrooms (fruiting bodies) is to create spores which will hopefully
begin another fungus and progenerate the species. While the spores barely made it
two inches from the mushroom, they can be carried away by wind, water, or on the foot
of an unsuspecting animal just passing by.
Here we have the diminutive but enchantingly cute Bird's Nest Fungi.
One look reveals how these charismatic little fungal fruits got their name.
With 31 species in North America, pinning down exactly which species this variety is
can be challenging. If you're up to it, here is an excellent key to figuring it out:
https://www.mushroomexpert.com/birdsnests.html
Below are a couple of immature specimens with the protective veil still in tact.
This protects the spore-filled "eggs", called peridioles, until they are mature.
The little cups, called peridium, will capture raindrops which will launch the peridioles
out and hopefully onto a usable substrate. After, the spores will be released
and with luck, a new mycelium will begin.
Mushrooms As Medicine: Turkey Tail Mushrooms
By: Victoria and Christopher Vacher
This post is the second in a series of articles concerning functional/medicinal mushrooms. If you missed last month's newsletter, you can find it here: June Newsletter.
One of the most prolific and easiest to find mushrooms is Turkey Tails (Trametes versicolor). Used for centuries in traditional medicine, their medicinal properties are seemingly miraculous. One of the primary health benefits derived from Turkey Tails is their immunomodulatory effects caused by their high content of polysaccharides. Turkey Tails contain many polysacharides including beta-glucans, polysacharide peptide, and polysacharide krestin. These water soluble compounds have been shown to stimulate various components of the immune system, including macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells. This facilitates boosting our own immune system to eradicate a variety pathogens.
In addition to the immune boosting properties, turkey tail mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body against oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants, such as phenols and flavonoids, contribute to overall health by reducing inflammation and potentially lowering the risk of chronic diseases. Studies also suggest that they can support cardiovascular health, improve gut health by promoting a balanced microbiome, and even exhibit anti-cancer properties.
Research has shown turkey tails to hold promise in supporting cancer treatment. Polysacharide krestin (PSK), a compound derived from turkey tail, when used as an adjunct treatment, enhances the efficacy of conventional treatment for cancer. In countries like Japan, PSK has been used with conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, for many years. In traditional medicine it has been used for thousands of years. It helps by boosting the patient’s immune response, potentially slowing down tumor growth and improving survival rates.
The combination of immune support, antioxidant properties and potential anti- cancer effects make turkey tail mushrooms a powerful natural remedy in integrative medicine. For further information and research, there are plenty of medical studies listed on The National Institute of Health website.
Here at Enchanted Nature we are excited to be the first company in Virginia approved to create mushroom extracts for retail sales. You can find them for sale on our Trading Post page.
Enchanted Nature News
CALLING ALL MYCOPHILES
There will be a one day mushroom festival happening on
Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 10am-5pm.
You and your loved ones are warmly invited to
experience the wonders of mushrooms and community spirit at:
The Enchanted Mushroom Festival
"The Virginia Mushroom Festival".
Click the logo above for more info.
We are seeking vendors, food trucks, volunteers, donations, and entertainers.
If you are interested in being part of the festival, please contact us.
Enchanted Nature Mushroom Extracts Are Now Available.
Our extracts can be purchased at:
You can also order online through our Trading Post
It's always mushroom season:
Our next mushroom class will be held on
Sunday, August 18, 11-3 at The Necessary Mercantile.
If you have any nature, gardening, or horticultural questions or comments, feel free to send them to adventures@enchantednaturetours.com
Made in the Shade
As we move through the finale of summer, remember that autumn is just around with corner with cooler temps. Celebrate trees and the shade that they provide.
Findings reported in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, suggest that keeping a few snapshots of greenery around yourself might be beneficial. When participants viewed the natural images in the experiment, their stress levels lowered, thanks to the activation of their parasympathetic nervous system – which controls certain rest functions. "Viewing green scenes may thus be particularly effective in supporting relaxation and recovery after experiencing a stressful period and thereby could serve as an opportunity for micro-restorative experiences and a promising tool in preventing chronic stress and stress-related diseases." Take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out slowly as you relax.
If you're ready to explore the forest,
come out for an adventure with us
NATURE IS CALLING, WILL YOU ANSWER
There are many proven health benefits to spending time in nature. It has also been proven that just looking at images of nature can provide multiple health benefits including: reducing depression, speeding healing, improving your immune system, preventing dementia, improving your mood, and increasing happiness. We plan on ending each newsletter with a short video of a natural scene. Hopefully the videos will provide you with some of the benefits listed above.
Stay safe and enjoy nature
If you haven't taken the time to explore our website, please do.
There are a lot of free educational resources to enjoy
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