Mother Trees

Older trees connected through a mycelium network have been shown to move nutrients into the mycelial network to help nourish younger trees in the network as they struggle to establish themselves. Dying trees connected to a common mycorrhizal network are also known to distribute their resources stores back into the network to nourish other plants in the ecosystem, even species other than its own. As such, older, more mature trees act as anchors within the ecosystem and “keep watch” over newly forming life, while also allowing turnover and power redistribution to occur within the ecosystem to sustain new life that is emerging.

Related Notes: The Mutualism Advantage, Networked Care, [[ Critcial Connections ]]

The following set of ecological principles serve to guide the design and implementation of the Mycelium Fund. This experimental granting fund explores the possibilities of a self-distributing financing system and is informed by mechanisms of resource valuation and distribution found in ecological communities, particularly those deep beneath the ground.