As 2024 comes to a close, we want to share and reflect on a year full of milestones, global collaborations, and innovative initiatives that further our mission to elevate fungi as essential to life on earth.
December 24, 2024
Alejandra Olguín
FFungi Staff
Communications Lead
FFungi Volunteer
From groundbreaking legal petitions to inspiring educational programs, here are some of the key achievements that shaped our year.
Conservation Program: Advocating for Fungi as Essential for Life
This year saw remarkable progress for our Conservation Program, including:
Fungi at COP16: We collaborated with the governments of Chile and the UK for the launching of the Fungal Conservation Pledge at this year’s UN CBD COP16, with the aim to incorporate fungi into biodiversity frameworks worldwide. The initiative was supported by Colombia, Benin, Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Cambodia, Guinea, and Germany. We will continue working towards the recognition of fungi and the formal adoption of the pledge at CoP17. Read all about this pioneer effort here.
The Chilean Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, together with the UK Minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Steve Reed, signing the Fungal Conservation Pledge at COP16.
“Funga” tool kit: In collaboration with the Fauna Flora Funga Initiative, we prepared an in-depth document guiding organizations on how to adopt mycologically inclusive language. It summarizes the pivotal role fungi play in ecosystems and conservation efforts and practical steps for how organizations can adjust their media. Want to apply it to your organization? Take a look here.
Fungi Room in Chile: The "Fungi Room" at Santiago's most iconic science museum opened in February 2024 and attracted great interest, with Dr. Jane Goodall personally touring the exhibit. With the scientific assessment of the Fungi Foundation, the exhibition is a milestone for fungi in Chile: it's the country's first permanent exhibition. The museum receives approximately 800,000 visitors per year.
Song Of The Cedars: In a first attempt in legal and environmental history, four humans and a representative of the Los Cedros Cloud Forest submitted a petition to Ecuador's copyright office to recognize the moral authorship of the forest as a co-creator of a song. ‘Song Of The Cedars’ was written in and with Ecuador's Los Cedros Cloud Forest two years ago by musician Cosmo Sheldrake, writer Robert Macfarlane, legal scholar César Rodríguez-Garavito, and field mycologist Giuliana Furci, all part of the MOTH Collective. They claim that the song could not exist without the forest as a collaborator and co-author, incorporating the voices of the forest, such as Toucan barbets, echo-locating bats, Howler monkeys, crickets, rustling leaves and even a subterranean recording of the soil. Read about this legal movement.
Fungal Conservation Tracker: This project sheds light on the successes and deficiencies of fungal conservation efforts around the world. The list now encompasses 92 countries and is live on our website. We have already received feedback from people in Brazil and India regarding their country's information, demonstrating the beginning of a collaborative nature of such a tool.
Expeditions Program: Exploring Fungal Diversity
Our expeditions uncovered vital fungal knowledge in diverse ecosystems:
Rediscovery of the Big Puma Fungus: A DNA analysis of samples collected by our team in Nahuelbuta, Chile, confirmed the rediscovery of a species lost to science for 40 years - Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis. Do you want to know more about this solved mystery? Watch the documentary ‘In Search of a Lost Fungus.’
Global Explorations: From Mongolia’s Gobi Desert to Ecuador’s Sarayaku Territory and Chilean Patagonia, our team documented fungi, engaged with local communities, and promoted conservation through education. Mycological expeditions are not only opportunities to discover new species and gain a deeper understanding of ecosystems but also crucial for collecting vital information to enhance cultural and ecological awareness, strengthen legal frameworks, and advocate for conservation strategies to protect these entire ecosystems.
Education Program: Inspiring the Next Generation
Education remains central to our mission, with 2024 marking significant strides:
National Curriculum Proposal: After years of advocacy, fungi could finally be included in Chile’s school curriculum. Chile’s Curriculum Update Proposal includes funga alongside flora and fauna, ensuring a new generation understands their ecological importance. The proposal is currently under review by the National Education Council and is expected to undergo the following steps in 2025. Let’s hope fungi arrive in classrooms very soon!
Curriculum in Portuguese: This year we officially published the Portuguese translation of the FF curriculum and Fantastic Fungi Educational Film. Our FE Thinkific course resources, including the FF Curriculum and K-5 Activities, have significantly progressed worldwide, reaching 6,199 enrollments from 97 countries.
Bringing fungi to children and teachers: We keep promoting the mycological educational resources we've developed to teach about the Fungi Kingdom by conducting training sessions in different regions of Chile. Through these talks, we have reached over 90 teachers, professionals, and education, science, and art students. Additionally, more than 350 children have received information about the Fungi Kingdom during talks, accompanied by spectacular images.
Elders Program: Bridging Generations Through Fungal Wisdom
Our Elders Program seeks to unveil the profound connections between fungi and humanity:
Ethnomycology in India: This year, we developed the Fungi Foundation's India Chapter. We established a network of fungi enthusiasts, local NGOs, and community leaders in the Meghalaya region, all coming together to support our ambitious project: the creation of an ethnomycological short film developed in alignment with our Ethical Guidelines. “The Mushroom Keepers” is now being showcased at festivals, with plans for its YouTube release in 2025.
Remembering the Forest Project: A long awaited dream project for our foundress Giuliana Furci, this year we finally had the opportunity to carry out the pilot. During an expedition to the Aysén Region in southern Chile, we visited two long-term elders facilities, where participants reconnected with their memories of the forest and family activities through immersive sensory experiences.
Communications & Media Highlights
From film premieres to media coverage, our work reached a global audience:
Films & Documentaries: In 2024 we released 4 films: In Search of a Lost Fungus, Flora Fauna Funga, Seeing Fungi and The Mushroom Keepers, all of them showcasing fungal stories and gaining international acclaim, awards and festival selections. The first two films are available for free on YouTube, while Seeing Fungi and The Mushroom Keepers can be watched at festival screenings.
In the press: Our work was featured by 115 outlets across 31 countries worldwide through podcasts, interviews, articles, and videos. Here are some of our favorites.
