An American student has built a canoe out of mushrooms to demonstrate the versatility of the plant as construction material and its potential role in the fight against plastic and climate change.
Katy Ayers says the aim of her mycelium-based ‘Myconoe’ is to raise awareness of how mushrooms’ fibrous roots can be used to not only break down chemicals and pollutants, but also to manufacture everyday products that are typically made from hard-to-recycle materials such as tough plastic and Syrofoam. “There’s so much we can do with them beyond just food; it’s so limitless. They’re our biggest ally for helping the environment,” she said.
She built the canoe with a college grant after being challenged by a tutor to find a solution to climate change, and received help from local firm Nebraska Mushroom – using a wooden frame filled with mushroom spawn in order for the fungus to grow to the required shape. Ayers and the company are now experimenting with other designs, including chairs and bricks.
This quirky project is the latest in a recent trend of mycelium being used as an alternative construction and packaging material as society increasingly wakes up to the need to stop using plastic.
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An American student has built a canoe out of mushrooms to demonstrate the versatility of the plant as construction material and its potential role in the fight against plastic and climate change.
Katy Ayers says the aim of her mycelium-based ‘Myconoe’ is to raise awareness of how mushrooms’ fibrous roots can be used to not only break down chemicals and pollutants, but also to manufacture everyday products that are typically made from hard-to-recycle materials such as tough plastic and Syrofoam. “There’s so much we can do with them beyond just food; it’s so limitless. They’re our biggest ally for helping the environment,” she said.
She built the canoe with a college grant after being challenged by a tutor to find a solution to climate change, and received help from local firm Nebraska Mushroom – using a wooden frame filled with mushroom spawn in order for the fungus to grow to the required shape. Ayers and the company are now experimenting with other designs, including chairs and bricks.
This quirky project is the latest in a recent trend of mycelium being used as an alternative construction and packaging material as society increasingly wakes up to the need to stop using plastic.