Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun: Vermont has a state mushroom!

This commentary is by Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, D-Westminster. She is a second-term state representative for Westminster, Rockingham and Brookline. She is a teacher, gardener, hiker and forager. She enjoys discovering, photographing, cultivating and cooking mushrooms.

Vermont has a new state symbol: Hericium americanum , also known as bear’s head tooth, a white, long-toothed mushroom indigenous to Vermont. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade helped move forward this legislation to help Vermont become the sixth state with a state mushroom.

This new state symbol was determined after I made  multiple school visits to students at  the Compass Middle School in Westminster and Windham Elementary School in the fall of 2023. Students learned about and discussed mushrooms and the legislative process with me and with one another. After  careful consideration and debate Hericium americanum (bear’s head tooth) was the mushroom selected at both schools as the best fungus to represent Vermont.

In choosing a state mushroom, the students had strong preferences about what they wanted for a new state symbol. They wanted a mushroom that:

• Was edible
• Had medicinal qualities (bear’s head tooth can be used for healing wounds and to treat neurological issues)
• Had no toxic lookalikes
• Can be found in our natural environment (bear’s head tooth is native to the northeast of North America)
• Can  be cultivated ( many mushrooms found in the wild cannot be domesticated)
• Grew on trees (this was a request of a younger student who noted that Vermont has a lot of trees and trees are important)
• Was distinctive and unique

With long white tendrils that grow downward from trees or downed logs, Hericium americanum has a very unique appearance. Students described it as looking “like a waterfall or like icicles or fireworks.” All of these were appealing to students as a symbol for Vermont.

The students were surprised that both Oregon and California chose versions of the chanterelle for their state mushrooms. We have more than one type of chanterelle here in Vermont, but the students were not interested in a mushroom similar to ones chosen by other states.

Bear’s Head Tooth was the mushroom that met all their criteria. It fit the bill (literally)! H.664 was introduced by me with 12 bi-partisan co-sponsors on January 5, 2024 and it became law this week.

Six students aged seven to fourteen testified for both the House and Senate Agriculture committees during the spring 2024 legislative session. When visiting the statehouse to testify students had the opportunity to meet with the secretary of state and lieutenant governor. Students involved in the project were also able to (remotely) watch the governor sign the bill in his ceremonial office.

Mushrooms can be a healthy motivation for thousands of Vermonters and visitors to engage with and in our natural world. Foraging, mushroom identification and mycography are all ways people can be active and connect with nature. Thousands of Vermonters forage and cultivate mushrooms. My own fungi fascination emerged during the pandemic when I had many walks in the woods while our world was in a state of separation and isolation. I hope this new state symbol and recognition increases interest from Vermonters to learn about our world through mushroom quests.

There are mushrooms (including bear’s head tooth)  that appear to slow cancer growth and alleviate neurological issues. Native Americans have used bear’s head tooth to prevent infections of wounds for centuries. There is much to appreciate about mushrooms and much to appreciate about bear’s head tooth!

In nature, mycelium connects plants and trees.  For humans too, I have found that  mushrooms  can provide connection. I have had mushroom conversations in the Statehouse with individuals from every party. Interest in H.664 mushroomed, popping up in far more places than I expected. Hunters, trappers, vegetarians and animal activists; we’ve found common ground discussing mushrooms that emerge from Vermont’s soil and trees.

Vermont experts including a state botanist, a UVM ecology professor,  representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Fish & Wildlife and foraging and mycology educators all testified in support of the bill and all agreed that the students made an excellent choice.

Fungi hold a distinct role in our ecosystem. Hericium americanum will effectively represent the fungi kingdom as our new state symbol. Many organisms in the plant and animal kingdoms are already recognized as state symbols, but the Fungi Kingdom which includes millions of life forms,  has had no state symbol representation, until May 7, 2024, when Gov. Scott signed H.664 into law designating the bear’s head tooth mushroom as Vermont’s  newest state symbol.

Youth engaging in our legislative process and understanding that our government can represent their interests is important. I thank the students of Windham and Compass for their careful consideration and wise nomination of bear’s head tooth. I am especially thankful to the six students from Westminster, Bellows Falls, Quechee, and Windham who  arefully prepared and presented testimony and answered questions from representatives and senators.

Many bills I have worked on are more important than the state mushroom bill, but I am proud to raise awareness about and interest in the importance of fungi. I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to help students from two schools participate in impacting legislation that will become a part of Vermont history.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun: Vermont has a state mushroom! .