Vortrag: Pilze, Boden und Gesundheit im Schulunterricht

Wie lassen sich komplexe ökologische Zusammenhänge wie Bodengesundheit und Pilzvielfalt sinnvoll und wirkungsvoll in den Schulunterricht bringen? Dieser Frage widmet sich Ulrich Hobusch, Lehrender an der Hochschule für Agrar- und Umweltpädagogik, in seinem Vortrag.
Er stellt das Projekt „One Health Teaching Clinic“ vor – eine Initiative, die es sich zum Ziel gesetzt hat, gesellschaftlich relevante Wissenschaftsthemen greifbar und erfahrbar zu machen. Im Fokus: neue didaktische Zugänge, mit denen sich Themen wie Pilze, Boden und Gesundheit auf lebendige Weise in den Unterricht integrieren lassen.
Außerdem werden zwei Studierendengruppen aus Graz und Münster von ihrem konkreten Bildungsprojekt berichten. Im Rahmen eines Seminars haben sie eine Schulintervention zum Thema „Pilze & Bodengesundheit“ geplant, durchgeführt und begleitet – inklusive kleiner Forschungssequenzen im Klassenzimmer.
In diesem Vortrag teilen sie ihre Konzepte, Materialien und Ergebnisse – und zeigen, wie Wissenschaft, Lehre und gesellschaftliche Wirkung miteinander verwoben werden können.

Vortrag: A 21st Century Fungarium

The Kew Fungarium has a over a million specimens spanning 200 years. Time, taxonomy, and techniues may have changed, but every one of those specimens is as valuable today as it was when originally collected. Hear how the Fungarium grows, how it is used, and how it will be used long into the future.

Vortrag: Threads of Knowledge: Ethnomycology Around the World

Join Mariana Villani on a journey through the remarkable ways fungi have been used across the globe—from ancient practices to modern applications. This talk will explore the rich mycological wisdom rooted in diverse ecosystems, highlighting how fungi have supported survival, and offered sustainable solutions throughout history.

From Ötzi the Iceman’s prehistoric toolkit to the knowledge of Indigenous peoples in the Americas, we’ll uncover how fungi have been used as medicine, food, instruments, fire-making, materials and more. The presentation will include a live demonstration of traditional fire-starting using fungi—just as Ötzi might have done over 5,000 years ago.

Drawing on Mariana’s expertise in ethnomycology, ecology, and agroecology, and informed by field research conducted around the world, this talk reveals how fungi are more than just organisms—they are cultural companions, ecological allies, and keys to a more sustainable future.

About the speaker: Mariana is a researcher and educator specializing in ethnobiology, traditional ecological knowledge, agroecology, and mycology. Her work includes collaborations with Indigenous communities in North America, fieldwork exploring the ecology and diversity of fungi in Brazil, the Touristic Mycotrails Project in Brazil’s Chapada Diamantina National Park, and contributions to the Fungi Foundation’s Elders Project. Since 2016, she has shared her expertise through workshops and research on agroecology and the cultural and ecological significance of fungi. She is finishing a Master’s in Agroecology and Food Sovereignty in Pollenzo, Italy, and she will be pursuing a PhD at Cardiff University and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where her research will focus on the diversity, ecology, and evolution of mycelial cords and rhizomorphs.

Vortrag: Mycelium Cultivating Sustainable Communities

Explore how mushrooms and mycelium can help us grow more than food—they can help us regenerate soil, reduce waste, and reconnect communities. This session dives into accessible mushroom cultivation using recycled materials, and how these practices can be brought into schools, gardens, and community spaces.

Learn how to:

• Grow edible mushrooms with low-tech, low-cost methods
• Use fungi to improve compost and soil health
• Turn waste streams into growing opportunities
• Integrate mushrooms into education and community food projects
• Use the mycelium network as a model for sustainability and connection

Whether you’re a teacher, grower, or fungi enthusiast, you’ll leave with practical tools and fresh ideas to cultivate change—one mushroom at a time.