The Fungi Regeneration Lab

Project Overview

The Fungi Regeneration Lab was an immersive learning journey that explored the potential of fungi to foster resilient communities and ecosystems. The programme blended theoretical learning and hands-on workshops, including regenerative methods of cultivating edible and medicinal mushrooms, building healthy fungal dominant soils and growing circular biomaterials with mycelium, as well as drawing insights from the experience of pioneering fungi-related businesses and practitioners. 

We gathered a diverse crowd of participants, partners and specialists from across Europe to learn about the vital roles fungi play in our ecosystems, and drew from Applied Mycology, Permaculture Design, Doughnut Economics, as well as business planning tools to collectively imagine more nature inspired and locally-rooted economies that meet the real needs of communities. 

Mycofutures: appropriate ideas and technology 

Throughout TFRL, innovative concepts emerged between participants, facilitators and partners that apply the principles of Permaculture and Doughnut Economics to craft tangible designs for myco-products and services. These designs are practical and community-centric, and are adaptable across diverse contexts through the focus on prioritising local materials and technology. 

Biomaterials from Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) 

Participant Matthias Cullman’s collective, Curious Community Labs, have open sourced a method of utilising SMS, collected from local mushroom farms after the grow process, and then shredding it, reforming it and creating biomaterials in a truly circular process that makes use of these mushroom growing leftovers. Download the open sourced guide here: https://bit.ly/3taJKnA

Future MycoProtein 

Programme organiser Emily Antoniadi has started growing protein food products using fungi cultures to myceliate nutritious organic grains, an idea that emerged during a TFRL workshop. This process avoids the need for fruiting rooms in the mushroom growing process, which requires more space and energy consumption to regulate humidity, temperature and airflow.
 

Mycorefinery

Agricultural and forestry waste, also known as 2nd generation biomass, holds significant potential for producing a variety of products across various industries. However, conventional conversion methods are challenging due to the tough and resistant nature of the biomass. This “recalcitrance” leads to higher processing costs due to additional inputs required to produce biofuels such as ethanol. To address this, researchers are exploring the use of white-rot fungi, such as the oyster mushroom, as an effective pre treatment for 2nd generation biomass valorization. This approach, known as a myco-biorefinery or simply mycorefinery, offers an integrated, cost-effective, and low-energy method to turn agricultural and forestry residues into edible mushrooms and other value-added bio-based products in a closed-loop, zero-waste system. After harvesting the mushrooms, the remaining spent mushroom substrate, which has been pre-digested by the fungal bioconversion process, becomes a viable material for biofuel and biomaterial production. This method presents an eco-friendly and economically viable alternative to current chemical processes used in biofuel production. It also opens up new avenues for small-holder farmers to generate additional income without needing large-scale investments. 
by TFRL participant Gerard Magloire

Mycelium Leather

Mycelium leather represents a pivotal advancement in sustainable material engineering, harnessing the power of fungal networks to create a solution to the environmental toll caused by traditional leather production, which often involves resource-intensive processes and harmful chemicals. It is grown in a controlled environment, forming a dense network that can be 
shaped and treated to resemble traditional leather both in looks and in qualities. What makes this alternative a necessity in today’s world is its ability to mitigate the environmental impact associated with leather products. Its biodegradability further distinguishes it as a crucial solution in combating excess waste generated by synthetic materials that linger for centuries. Its development and adoption are pivotal in fostering a more conscientious and sustainable approach to material sourcing and production, aligning with the growing global demand for environmentally responsible solutions. 
by TFRL participant Lydia Kokkinaki 

Project Stories: TFRL Participants Apply Their Learnings 

Following TFRL many participants have brought their newly acquired skills and knowledge back to their communities, sharing with other organisations, creating new fungal connections and collaborations, and multiplying the impact of this learning journey. 

Regenerating land and community, Paros

Participant Stella Cervello is transforming an 8500m2 piece of land into a food forest. She’s actively sharing the knowledge and skills gained at TFRL within her local community through open workshops and the construction of a Johnson-Su Bioreactor, to create fungal compost for healthy soils. Follow the project activities on their Instagram page. 

Accessible Mycology, Argos 

Following the TFRL programme, participant Marike Splinter has built her own laminar flow box from scratch using leftover plexiglass, a humidifier HEPA filter, a small in-line fan and a prefilter patch, all for just €50. This kind of creative DIY thinking is leading the way in democratising applied mycology and mushroom growing for all. Full instructions for creating a lamina flow box here. 

η μικρή κουκουβάγια / little owl project, Argos 

Clara Villain's project aims to revitalise 3000m2 of land and a house in the eastern Peloponnese. Taking root this year, the project is centered on regenerative practices, including the cultivation of figs, oranges, pomegranates, and grapes, while seeking ways to ethically distribute surplus produce. They have already applied their newly acquired skills in soil management, and mushroom cultivation, by building a lab space, constructing a Johnson-Su Bioreactor, a greenhouse, mycorrhiza propagation, and tree cultivation, as well as organising an Artist in Residence program, where permaculture, syntropic farming, regenerative agriculture and fungi knowledge will meet art and culture. This experience has initiated a shift towards community engagement, fostering a sense of purpose and dialogue about their project within a broader community context. 

Fungi for Food and Soil Enhancement, Skiathos 

Participant Pepe Mendez has a vision to transform a burnt forest into a food forest while creating a functional food site, by nurturing fruit and nut trees, growing edible mushrooms, and enriching the soil with microorganisms. The knowledge acquired at TFRL about fungi's role in biodiversity has driven his efforts and he’s already embarked on mushroom spawn cultivation, built a Johnson-Su Bioreactor, and is currently redesigning spaces to integrate fungi as a food source. His aim is to create a permaculture system and example in Skiathos, a place lacking these practices. 

Academy of Growth, Germany 

Participant Thomas Hagmans' farm aims to create a food forest rooted in syntropic farming principles, promoting biodiversity, optimising resources, and ensuring resilient long-term food sources. The TFRL programme has expanded the organisation's understanding of mycorrhizal partnerships, wood decomposition, mushroom cultivation, composting, and fungi as a food resource, and even sparked new collaborations. They have already created a of a Johnson-Su Bioreactor, a crucial step in establishing their food forest for their "Diversity is Key" solidarity project in Autumn 2024.

Solidarity is Key Collaboration

Participants Thomas Hagmans and Luca Merelli have started a year-long Solidarity Project collaboration with the goal of studying, designing, and creating a small agroforestry system which includes a fungal component. Working with the local community in a rural village in western Germany, they will implement a pilot mycoforestry system 
which will function both as an extra source of food for self-sufficiency and as a demonstrative tool to enhance local biodiversity and climate change mitigation. 

Impact

The impacts of TFRL have been felt widely by participants, partners and facilitators alike. It allowed Re-Green to develop our learning capacities, including educational and mycological infrastructure, while supporting community food resilience, contributing to eco-innovation in our region, fostering numerous strategic partnerships and sparking new collaborations between multiple actors involved. We contributed to the revitalisation of the depopulated village of Seliana by enhancing soil health, bringing community learning back to the village school, creating a hub for further transnational and educational activity and putting Seliána on the map of cutting-edge myco practices and eco-innovation. We have furthered the mycological discourse by bringing together stakeholders in the farming, academic and regenerative business fields to facilitate a deep learning exchange, which has driven participant progress in disseminating project learnings in their communities, kickstarting their own regenerative projects and forging new international collaborations. TFRL also sparked interest in regenerative fungi practices in our wider community, with almost 200 interest inquiries and over 100 submitted applications, evidencing the growing interest in working with fungi to support regenerative economies. 

Lessons Learned: Key takeaways from the TFRL Programme

As Re-Green’s first Erasmus+-funded programme, The Fungi Regeneration Lab provided new perspectives and opportunities for developing our learning infrastructures for future education, community engagement and transnational cooperation activities. Here are a few key learnings from our experience. 

Reopening the Village School as a Learning Space

Through the TFRL programme and with the help of the local cultural association we were able to reopen the 
village school building, which has been empty of students for decades, to be used once again as a place for community learning. Numerous TFRL lessons and practical workshops were run in this historic space, adding an element of community and local connection to the learning experience. This strengthened our relationship with local community hubs, paving the way for further local collaborations that bring knowledge and life back to a deserted educational place. 

The Power of Dynamic Learning

TFRL’s workshops, whether more theoretical or practical, were facilitated in a collaborative, non hierarchical and adaptable style which harnessed the diverse group’s collective intelligence. This dynamic approach was pivotal to creating a learning environment that was able to push boundaries and dive deep into systemic issues, which contributed to a truly transformational experience for participants and facilitators alike. 

Nurture Community Support and Accountability

Beyond the Classroom Holding online video with participants sessions after 
the in-person learning solidified a sense of community among the group; extending the collective learning journey, providing accountability for individual project development and even giving way to new collaborations among participants. Multiple smaller groups have continued to meet following the official follow-up sessions to continue benefiting from the community’s support and momentum created.

Connect: Ways to Get Involved

Watch TFRL Mini Video E-Series

We have creating an e-learning mini video series including many of the learnings from TFRL, including regenerative principles for edible mushroom cultivation, building healthy fungal soils and key business planning skills. Watch the full series on out landing page.

Discover more on the Fungi Regeneration Landing Page: tfrl23.my.canva.site

Visit our website: https://re-green.gr 

Email us: fungiregenerationlab@gmail.com

Disclaimer: EPALE is a community platform with user-generated content. All user-generated content is provided as-is. The European Commission and NSS Greece does not endorse any views, opinions or advice expressed by users to this platform.