If it weren’t for fungi, dead trees might not decompose and nutrients would be locked up, unavailable for other plants and animals to use.

In this latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin’s Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences Nathaniel T. Wheelwright, explains why fungi are “the original recyclers.”

If you want to make your own natural history observations, The Naturalist’s Notebook by Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich (Storey Publishing, 2017) provide guidance and a systematic format, with 100 percent of royalties going to conservation and environmental education.

Enjoy more Nature Moments.