The Latvian mania for mushrooming is well documented, and therefore it should come as no surprise that the national obsession also has a dedicated show on Latvian Radio 6 (Radio NABA) dedicated entirely to matters mycological.
Titled ‘Micelijs’ (Mycelium), which sounds like it might be the name of an obscure medieval alchemist but is of course a nod to the Latin taxonomical term which encompasses the fungal world, the show is broadcast on the last Saturday of each mushrooming month and contains all the latest essential mushroom news, views, reviews and profiles.
The only potential problem is that the broadcast slot – 10:00 – is precisely when many dedictaed foragers will be rooting around the forest in search of fungal bounty. But naturally, it is also available on Latvian Radio’s online streaming service, so while you might miss the occasional mushroom, hidden under camouflaging moss or teasing you coquettishly from the opposite bank of a swollen river, you will never have to miss an episode of Micelijs.
Hosted by Evita Veinberga (a member of the board of the Latvian Mycological Society, a social anthropologist and translator), and Miks Rieksts-Hofmanis (a member of the Latvian Mycological Society, a biologist and ecologist), the self-stated goal of the program is “to educate the public and promote healthy pastimes by telling stories about mushrooms, their collection and use in a popular scientific format.”
The show’s guests are both professional mycologists and simply enthusiastic mushroom pickers, passionate amateur scientists, and other specialists related to mushrooms.
You can find all recent episodes, including the intriguingly-titled ‘Yeast is a way of life’ here: https://naba.lsm.lv/lv/naba/raidjumi/micelijs/
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