How to Celebrate International Mushroom Day 2024

International Mushroom Day falls just when mushroom foraging season begins in earnest, in the darkening days of autumn, on the 15th of October. Celebrated initially in Australia and the US (though other countries also now partake), both countries claim to be the originators of the day.

What they can agree on however, is that this day aims to celebrate all aspects of mushroom culture; from the farmers and foragers, to the culinary delights, to the health-giving benefits, to the ecological and environmental potential, to — dare we say it — the psychedelic?

The Popularity of Mushrooms Has Sky-Rocketed

If Mushroom Day started in the ‘90s as a way to encourage people to eat this nutritious yet often overlooked food — in the intervening years, as the popularity of mushrooms has grown — it’s become much more. No longer is it just there to remind you of another pizza topping option!

Today when we think of mushrooms (as well as a delicious risotto) we think of sustainability, of new materials, of space travel (both literally and metaphorically), of pioneering mental health care, of wellness supplements, of connection with nature, and an integral part of the history of humanity itself.

Sound a little hyperbolic? Well, in case you missed them, let us fill you in on some of the amazing mushroom news stories that came out just this year (so far!)

Psychedelic Mushrooms Have Existed for 65 million years — 63 million years Longer Than the Earliest Human Species!

Yep, back in January, researchers completed a groundbreaking gene-sequencing study of over 50 Psilocybe mushrooms. As a result they discovered that these trippy mushrooms were far older than previously assumed, having originated around 65 million years ago. And, as dinosaur-heads out there may know, 65 million years ago was also when those terrible lizards were wiped off the face of the Earth via a deeply unwelcome asteroid. This led the researchers to hypothesize that it was the destruction of the dinosaurs that actually caused the psychedelic compounds to develop in certain mushrooms, producing the Psilocybes we know and love today. Intrigued? Read the full story here…

Reishi Mushroom May Have Therapeutic Effects for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Reishi mushroom, or Ganoderma lucidum, may hold the potential to help with treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. A study published in May of this year found that the mushroom, that has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may have neuroprotective effects key to treating Alzheimer’s, as well as exerting beneficial effects on cognitive function, symptoms and quality of life.

Mushroom Waste Is Being Used to Build Sustainable Homes in Namibia

MycoHab, a company dedicated to addressing food insecurity and creating environmental building solutions, have come up with a groundbreaking solution to the housing crisis in Namibia, while also tackling environmental concerns at the same time. Every year the Namibian government burns about 300m tonnes of harmful ‘encroacher bush’, both to clear the environment and produce charcoal. This releases a large amount of emissions. MycoHab proposes an alternate approach. By grinding up the encroacher bushes to use as substrate, gourmet oyster mushrooms can be cultivated and sold. The waste product is then compacted into bricks, which can be used to build houses for families. These bricks are strong and durable and release a fraction of the carbon dioxide that concrete does. Read all about it here.

Women Claims That Magic Mushrooms Cured Her Long Covid

An intriguing case report emerged this year which posited that a woman’s persistent Long COVID symptoms had been alleviated with psilocybin mushrooms. While most magic mushroom-related studies focus on mental health, this year there were numerous stories that outlined their potential for the treatment of more physical complaints. According to Clinical Case Reports the 41-year old patient was struggling with depression, insomnia, headaches, severe anxiety, joint pain, cognitive issues, and a greatly reduced libido. After undergoing therapist-supervised psilocybin and MDMA sessions, her symptoms were greatly reduced, providing “complete relief”. As Long COVID is currently extremely difficult to treat, this case-study caused quite the stir, as you can imagine. You can read all about it here.

NASA Has Plans To Grow Structures on the Moon Using Mushrooms

You can’t take bricks into space. Bringing already built structures is problematic too. What’s an astronaut to do? Well according to NASA, the answer is to grow your building materials when you get there! It turns out that there are types of fungi that can grow on the meagerest of resources (such as water and moondust) to create a resilient, stronger-than-concrete material. And that’s not all — the melanin contained in mushrooms means the structures would be radiation proof as well as insulating. And they could be grown in only 30-60 days! Check out the full story here.

Psychedelic Mushrooms May Be Responsible for Human Consciousness as We Know It

This year a research review was published that seemed to support Terrence McKenna’s much-scoffed-at Stoned Ape Theory. The researchers suggested that the ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms could have caused perception changes, visual enhancement, and greater success in reproduction in early humans. Eagle-eyed McKenna devotees couldn’t help but notice that these conclusions were remarkably similar to McKenna’s own (despite the researchers not name-checking the psychedelic icon.) Though the theory still has many detractors, psychedelic mushroom advocates took it as an exciting sign that mushroom culture once considered niche, or even weird, is finally being taken seriously.

So now we’ve reminded you of just a few of the reasons why mushrooms deserve a ‘day’, here are a few things you can do to celebrate!