Light show dazzles Euroa as fungi take centre stage

THE Festival of Fungi wowed visitors to the North Eastern Hotel on Friday night in an event that triggered all the senses. Over 200 people visited the show across three hours, undeterred by the gentle rain which only added more magic to the light projection show Bioluminescence which lit up the walls of the historical building and surrounds with a colourful and mesmerizing display. Local musicians performed in a dedicated small theatre off the courtyard, and pub regulars mixed in with the Strathbogie ecology-chic to enjoy the bevy of food stalls and dodge kids as they ran between shows. The projections included fungal-themed art, time-lapse videos, children’s interpretations, and even science fiction. Mycologist Alison Pouliot launched her new book Funga Obscura on Sunday afternoon at the Northern Republic Hotel before a long lunch signed off the festival for another two years. Dr Pouliot said there were many reasons to get enthralled with fungi. “They have so many qualities that delight both the mind and the senses – they're curious, stunningly beautiful, and vital to the Earth's functioning,” Dr Pouliot said. “Fungi underpin almost every terrestrial environment on the planet. “They also turn perfectly respectable adults into four-year olds when we experience the delight of searching for them in the forest!” Dr Pouliot said she was drawn to the obscure field as a child by the ‘beauty and bizarreness’ of fungi that captured her imagination. “Curiosity then led me their science - I wanted to understand what they were doing,” she said. “And there’s been no going back.” Her words of advice to anyone with a new interest were simple. “Jump straight in, but be warned that you’re likely to become enamoured with this kooky kingdom of organisms and they might well become a life-long obsession. “Start from the beginning, exploring their myriad forms, what they are, what they do, and why they matter.”

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