1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,056 (inspiring music) 2 00:00:02,106 --> 00:00:04,773 (birds singing) 3 00:00:06,819 --> 00:00:10,745 (footsteps squelching) 4 00:00:10,795 --> 00:00:12,460 - I'm Stephen Axford. 5 00:00:12,510 --> 00:00:16,280 12 years ago, I retired from the computer industry 6 00:00:16,330 --> 00:00:19,653 and I started taking photos of mushrooms. 7 00:00:21,141 --> 00:00:22,760 (shutter clicking) 8 00:00:22,810 --> 00:00:25,580 Then I started putting my photographs on the internet, 9 00:00:25,630 --> 00:00:28,131 and people really started to like them. 10 00:00:28,181 --> 00:00:32,760 Then the BBC contacted me and wanted to use my time-lapse 11 00:00:32,810 --> 00:00:35,063 on "Planet Earth II." 12 00:00:35,113 --> 00:00:38,780 (inspiring music continues) 13 00:00:42,650 --> 00:00:43,758 So what started as a hobby 14 00:00:43,808 --> 00:00:46,020 has actually become a real obsession, 15 00:00:46,070 --> 00:00:49,170 and it gets me and my filmmaker partner, Catherine, 16 00:00:49,220 --> 00:00:51,230 invited to document fungi 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,914 in all sorts of places around the world. 18 00:00:53,964 --> 00:00:54,990 (vehicle horn beeps) 19 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,591 This time, we're going to northeast India. 20 00:00:57,641 --> 00:01:01,308 (inspiring music continues) 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,990 (engine sputtering) 22 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,290 We're embarking on a fungi safari 23 00:01:07,340 --> 00:01:09,807 into some of the most remote jungles on the planet. 24 00:01:09,857 --> 00:01:12,524 (river roaring) 25 00:01:14,025 --> 00:01:16,690 We want to know what mushrooms we can eat. 26 00:01:16,740 --> 00:01:17,930 So are these edible? 27 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:19,290 - These are very tasty, 28 00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:21,830 and in the market they have a very high price. 29 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,790 - And we want to know what mushrooms will poison us. 30 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,120 I took it home and ate it. 31 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:28,720 - Who ate it? - I did. 32 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:29,720 And then? 33 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,920 I was sweating and my clothes were soaked. 34 00:01:33,225 --> 00:01:35,780 We're on the hunt for the beautiful fungi, 35 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:37,900 and we're on the hunt for the unusual, 36 00:01:37,950 --> 00:01:39,670 and even bizarre, fungi. 37 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,960 Wow, what have we got here? 38 00:01:42,010 --> 00:01:45,080 This looks very like a Cordyceps species. 39 00:01:45,130 --> 00:01:48,840 And we want to find out why scientists all over the world 40 00:01:48,890 --> 00:01:52,290 now think that fungi are absolutely essential 41 00:01:52,340 --> 00:01:54,161 to life on this planet. 42 00:01:54,211 --> 00:01:57,878 (inspiring music continues) 43 00:02:04,452 --> 00:02:08,120 Today is the first day of our Indian fungi safari, 44 00:02:08,170 --> 00:02:10,871 and we begin in the remote state of Assam. 45 00:02:10,921 --> 00:02:11,840 (bells clanging) 46 00:02:11,890 --> 00:02:14,483 It's a region known for its excellent tea. 47 00:02:16,898 --> 00:02:18,610 - [Children] Hi! - Hi. 48 00:02:18,660 --> 00:02:20,210 We've come here at the invitation 49 00:02:20,260 --> 00:02:22,300 of the Balipara Foundation. 50 00:02:22,350 --> 00:02:24,390 One of their projects is documenting 51 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,404 the biodiversity of the forests in the eastern Himalayas, 52 00:02:28,454 --> 00:02:31,303 and they've just added fungi to the list. 53 00:02:32,601 --> 00:02:33,840 (inspiring music fades) 54 00:02:33,890 --> 00:02:35,310 - We, as Balipara Foundation, 55 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:36,590 have always been really interested 56 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:38,990 in auditing the biodiversity that we have 57 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,550 in the eastern Himalayas. 58 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,760 We feel that a documentation of biodiversity 59 00:02:43,810 --> 00:02:45,313 is really important for its conservation, 60 00:02:45,363 --> 00:02:47,490 because if you don't know what grows, 61 00:02:47,540 --> 00:02:49,780 then you can't really save it. 62 00:02:49,830 --> 00:02:51,203 - What have we got here? 63 00:02:52,700 --> 00:02:55,670 That's a beautiful, big coral fungus. 64 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,540 - And we've always been focused on documenting 65 00:02:57,590 --> 00:02:58,900 the kind of trees, flora, and shrubs 66 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:00,990 that are found in the preexisting forest. 67 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,630 We've never really thought about fungi. 68 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,120 Till the point in time when we actually came across news 69 00:03:07,170 --> 00:03:10,200 that quite a few people in the area around Assam 70 00:03:10,250 --> 00:03:12,721 and also in Meghalaya had been poisoned. 71 00:03:12,771 --> 00:03:14,834 - [Stephen] This one, I believe, they do eat. 72 00:03:14,884 --> 00:03:15,973 - [Guide] Yeah, that one for eatable one. 73 00:03:16,023 --> 00:03:18,620 - [Stephen] Yeah, and how do you cook it? 74 00:03:18,670 --> 00:03:20,210 - Cooking like soup also. 75 00:03:20,260 --> 00:03:21,660 - Is there a lot of it here? 76 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:23,940 - Eh, maybe. 77 00:03:23,990 --> 00:03:25,053 - I grew up in Assam. 78 00:03:26,070 --> 00:03:29,400 People in Assam do not normally consume fungi at all, 79 00:03:29,450 --> 00:03:32,320 and I don't think that there is a lot of local knowledge 80 00:03:32,370 --> 00:03:34,500 about the fungi that could be consumed. 81 00:03:34,550 --> 00:03:38,770 - This is an enormous fungus. 82 00:03:38,820 --> 00:03:40,770 I'm sure we know what this one is, 83 00:03:40,820 --> 00:03:45,100 but instead of being this big, it's this big. (chuckles) 84 00:03:45,150 --> 00:03:47,680 - By the end of this first kind of survey trip 85 00:03:47,730 --> 00:03:50,990 of the biodiversity, we hope to have a basic knowledge 86 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,120 of the kind of mushrooms that grow, 87 00:03:53,170 --> 00:03:56,290 of the kind of mushrooms that are being consumed by people, 88 00:03:56,340 --> 00:03:58,030 and maybe also the kind of mushrooms 89 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,400 that have been consumed by people 90 00:03:59,450 --> 00:04:00,573 and have resulted in poisoning. 91 00:04:00,623 --> 00:04:05,623 (engine sputtering) (dreamy music) 92 00:04:07,684 --> 00:04:10,150 - [Stephen] First stop is Majuli Island, 93 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,453 which is in the middle of the Brahmaputra. 94 00:04:14,953 --> 00:04:17,210 Majuli is the biggest river island 95 00:04:17,260 --> 00:04:18,400 in the world, (birds singing) 96 00:04:18,450 --> 00:04:21,000 stretching from Sivasagar in the north 97 00:04:21,050 --> 00:04:22,850 to Kaziranga Wildlife Park 98 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:24,690 in the south. (elephant trumpets) 99 00:04:24,740 --> 00:04:26,980 The local people are the Mising tribe 100 00:04:27,030 --> 00:04:29,520 whose lives depend on the ebb and flow 101 00:04:29,570 --> 00:04:32,040 of the dry and wet seasons. 102 00:04:32,090 --> 00:04:35,590 Majuli is also a place of ancient Hindu monasteries 103 00:04:37,030 --> 00:04:40,300 with some very unique ways of keeping young monks 104 00:04:40,350 --> 00:04:44,023 fit and healthy. (dreamy Indian music) 105 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,150 And Majuli is the home of a living legend. 106 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,279 Jadav Payeng is known as the Forest Man of India. 107 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,320 After the fungus grew, 108 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,400 it attracted the insects inside the branch 109 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,200 which then attracted the birds. 110 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,880 There is an interdependency, so even when it's rotting, 111 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,360 the birds will still keep eating the insects. 112 00:05:12,530 --> 00:05:14,510 The big web of nature. - [Gautam] Yeah. 113 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,500 - [Stephen] 39 years ago, this inspiring subsistence farmer 114 00:05:18,550 --> 00:05:21,120 set himself a massive mission: 115 00:05:21,170 --> 00:05:24,830 to plant life back into this part of Majuli Island. 116 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:29,160 In 1979 when the devastating flood came here, 117 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:34,280 lots of snakes washed down from China and Arunachal Pradesh. 118 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,960 In June, July, it is very hot and dry, 119 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,720 but this season was twice as bad. 120 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:45,840 As a result, the hot sand banks and the rubbish that washed down 121 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,440 killed hundreds of snakes. 122 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:54,040 When I went to the sand bank, I felt very sad. 123 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:59,960 I wondered what I could do to keep the snakes alive. 124 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:06,360 Then I walked five kilometres to the closest Deuri tribe people, 125 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,160 and I asked them, 126 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,640 "Sir, do you have any solutions to save these snakes that died?" 127 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,160 Then they said, 128 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,160 "Plant the tallest grass in the world [bamboo]." 129 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,840 They taught me if you plant bamboo, it will provide shade 130 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,280 and the snakes and the other wildlife won't die, 131 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,560 and then you keep planting trees. 132 00:06:27,762 --> 00:06:29,373 (dreamy music ends) 133 00:06:29,423 --> 00:06:33,883 - This is a red cotton tree, and this is 30 years old. 134 00:06:33,933 --> 00:06:35,873 It's amazing. So huge. 135 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,720 I planted more than 10,000 trees and sowed hundreds of kilograms 136 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:46,710 in the sand banks in one year. 137 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,879 (dreamy music) 138 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,120 The seeds that washed down with the floods 139 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,440 from Arunachal and China, they also started growing 140 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,040 and it started becoming more like a jungle. 141 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,600 Now there are hundreds of deer, tigers, 142 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,040 rhinoceros, elephants and also a species of endangered vulture. 143 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,190 - I find Jadav Payeng's forest a powerful reminder 144 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,700 of how just one person can make a huge difference. 145 00:07:20,750 --> 00:07:22,823 And I'm not the only one he inspires. 146 00:07:23,870 --> 00:07:27,980 In 2010, his story went viral on the internet. 147 00:07:28,030 --> 00:07:31,110 And today, Jadav Payeng is celebrated 148 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:35,414 as one of the world's great conservationists. 149 00:07:35,464 --> 00:07:37,313 Oh, what are these ones here? 150 00:07:39,290 --> 00:07:42,623 Do you know if these ones are poisonous? 151 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,040 They're poisonous. You can't eat them. 152 00:07:47,820 --> 00:07:49,870 How do you know that they're toxic? 153 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,280 My grandparents knew more about which mushrooms you can eat 154 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:59,280 and which ones you can't. 155 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,320 There have been some casualties of local people 156 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,880 from eating mushrooms because they don't know. 157 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,320 In the tea gardens, 158 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,254 the children collect and eat them and have been poisoned 159 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,840 and this is because of lack of knowledge. 160 00:08:12,929 --> 00:08:16,390 - With the photographs that Steve is taking of the fungi, 161 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,830 we wanted to created an encyclopedia of fungi description. 162 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,830 At the same time, his photographs are just amazing, 163 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:28,170 so it creates a love for the fungi 164 00:08:28,220 --> 00:08:29,450 through the photographs, 165 00:08:29,500 --> 00:08:32,740 and we'll use these photographs as awareness tool 166 00:08:32,790 --> 00:08:35,440 when we start our next phase of the project. 167 00:08:36,712 --> 00:08:38,040 (shutter clicks) 168 00:08:38,090 --> 00:08:39,480 - What we're finding in this young forest 169 00:08:39,530 --> 00:08:43,660 is saprophytic fungi like this one. 170 00:08:43,710 --> 00:08:46,670 Now, saprophytic fungi is a type of fungus 171 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,790 that decomposes dead organic material, 172 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,390 in this case, fallen bits of wood, 173 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,610 trees that die, leaves. (inspiring music) 174 00:08:56,660 --> 00:08:58,640 If it wasn't for saprophytic fungi, 175 00:08:58,690 --> 00:09:01,760 this whole forest would be piled deep in wood 176 00:09:01,810 --> 00:09:02,986 that never rots away. 177 00:09:03,036 --> 00:09:06,703 (inspiring music continues) 178 00:09:11,250 --> 00:09:14,410 Fungi are not plants and they're not animals. 179 00:09:14,460 --> 00:09:16,913 They have their own vast kingdom of life. 180 00:09:18,380 --> 00:09:20,370 Scientists predict that there are somewhere 181 00:09:20,420 --> 00:09:22,760 between four and five million species 182 00:09:22,810 --> 00:09:24,493 of fungi on this planet. 183 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,837 But, so far, we've only documented 200,000. 184 00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:32,184 So there's a lot to learn. 185 00:09:32,234 --> 00:09:35,901 (inspiring music continues) 186 00:09:37,130 --> 00:09:39,463 These ones look like they're Termitomyces. 187 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,430 Many species of Termitomyces are edible, 188 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,890 but we can't be sure with these ones. 189 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,083 They've got a very hard pointy cap, which is indicative. 190 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:55,960 The termites farm, 191 00:09:56,010 --> 00:09:59,810 they get bits of leaf and twigs and things 192 00:09:59,860 --> 00:10:01,710 and take it down into the nest 193 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,670 and then put the fungus on it and the fungus grows, 194 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,330 and the termites eat some of the fungus 195 00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:09,270 and they allow the rest to grow. 196 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,240 With the help of some agricultural research, 197 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,320 we could find out if we can eat them too 198 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,520 once they declare if they are edible. 199 00:10:15,980 --> 00:10:19,650 Finding mushrooms that the locals can harvest and eat 200 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:22,970 is one of the big missions of this fungi field trip. 201 00:10:23,020 --> 00:10:24,170 - The major source of protein 202 00:10:24,220 --> 00:10:26,550 in this part of the world are legumes. 203 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,990 But legumes, unfortunately, do not provide 204 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,900 for as much protein as is required 205 00:10:30,950 --> 00:10:33,070 during a normal course of development. 206 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:34,890 We've also gone through reports 207 00:10:34,940 --> 00:10:37,120 which talk about how this sort of malnourishment 208 00:10:37,170 --> 00:10:39,080 during the early years of growth 209 00:10:39,130 --> 00:10:42,300 affects mental growth in adults, 210 00:10:42,350 --> 00:10:44,140 which is a very, very important part 211 00:10:44,190 --> 00:10:47,520 of a fully formed human being. (villagers chattering) 212 00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:49,210 So mushrooms can be promoted 213 00:10:49,260 --> 00:10:52,560 as a high-protein source for a normal diet. 214 00:10:52,610 --> 00:10:54,630 Also could form one very integral part 215 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,990 of this new land restoration plan 216 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,750 where people are involved in the restoration of habitat 217 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,640 but also are growing mushrooms 218 00:11:01,690 --> 00:11:05,340 which give them a form of self-sufficiency in their diet 219 00:11:05,390 --> 00:11:07,470 but also a source of revenue. 220 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,840 So mushrooms would be one of the many things 221 00:11:09,890 --> 00:11:11,730 which we would be trying to promote 222 00:11:11,780 --> 00:11:13,640 in the hope for a community-based 223 00:11:13,690 --> 00:11:17,373 conservation of our forests. (dreamy music) 224 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,400 - We're on our way to the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, 225 00:11:27,450 --> 00:11:30,360 which is about as close to an untouched forest 226 00:11:30,410 --> 00:11:32,626 as we're likely to find in this part of India. 227 00:11:32,676 --> 00:11:37,676 (dreamy music continues) (horn honking) 228 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,120 The reason this is called Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary 229 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,480 is because there's lots of Hollong trees, 230 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:48,360 and the gibbon species, which is a nearly extinct species, 231 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,040 is found here. 232 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,840 The area is approximately 200 hectares. 233 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,240 It has a rich variety of mushrooms, 234 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:05,280 but people don't know which species are edible or not. 235 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:07,294 They know of only four edible species of mushrooms. 236 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,280 They are not aware of other edible species. 237 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,840 So, we've seen mostly the tea communities 238 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,520 and other communities eating only those four varieties. 239 00:12:18,147 --> 00:12:20,490 - [Gautam] This is poisonous. - [Biju] Poisonous. 240 00:12:20,540 --> 00:12:22,090 - But he doesn't know the name. 241 00:12:23,230 --> 00:12:25,900 They came to know that this one is poisonous 242 00:12:25,950 --> 00:12:29,240 because they have heard stories about people dying 243 00:12:29,290 --> 00:12:32,160 after eating this particular mushroom. 244 00:12:32,210 --> 00:12:35,570 Also, it's a kind of ethnobotanical knowledge 245 00:12:35,620 --> 00:12:38,913 that they used to get it from their ancestors. 246 00:12:40,870 --> 00:12:42,047 - Ah, now we've got one 247 00:12:42,097 --> 00:12:45,260 that's very appropriate for this national park. 248 00:12:45,310 --> 00:12:47,160 It's growing on elephant dung. 249 00:12:47,210 --> 00:12:48,900 There's a mature one, 250 00:12:48,950 --> 00:12:51,563 and then one, two, three more. 251 00:12:52,682 --> 00:12:54,009 (dreamy music ends) 252 00:12:54,059 --> 00:12:58,780 (shutter clicks) (birds singing) 253 00:12:58,830 --> 00:13:02,360 Do you know if these fungi are poisonous or edible? 254 00:13:02,410 --> 00:13:03,493 - Medicine. 255 00:13:03,543 --> 00:13:05,261 This is of cancer. 256 00:13:05,311 --> 00:13:07,390 - Cancer medicine. - Cancer. 257 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,050 - [Stephen] So they're purple on the inside. 258 00:13:10,100 --> 00:13:13,440 This is a mature one, and these ones are just starting. 259 00:13:13,490 --> 00:13:16,350 To start with, they're just little cups. 260 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,000 A few days ago, 261 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,200 a person came and we were searching for this one. 262 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,440 - Where was he from? - Jorhat. 263 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:25,760 Is he a scientist? 264 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,009 No, not a scientist. A herbalist. 265 00:13:29,059 --> 00:13:31,680 - [Both] Herbal practitioner. (inspiring music) 266 00:13:31,730 --> 00:13:32,720 - In this forest, 267 00:13:32,770 --> 00:13:36,170 I photographed 32 different species of fungi, 268 00:13:36,220 --> 00:13:39,583 and the ranger told us that most of them are not edible. 269 00:13:40,970 --> 00:13:45,460 Yet scientists think that every single one of these species 270 00:13:45,510 --> 00:13:48,723 could have an important role to play in the forest. 271 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,123 What we're documenting is the fruit of the fungus. 272 00:13:59,870 --> 00:14:02,570 But if we could see inside the rotting wood, 273 00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:06,780 the dead leaves, and the soil, we would find mycelium, 274 00:14:06,830 --> 00:14:08,823 which is like the body of the fungus. 275 00:14:10,660 --> 00:14:14,143 These tiny threads break down and recycle wood. 276 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,740 And they seek out water and nutrients 277 00:14:17,790 --> 00:14:20,663 and feed those to the roots of the living trees. 278 00:14:22,130 --> 00:14:25,340 The more we learn, the more we realize 279 00:14:25,390 --> 00:14:28,090 that fungi are vital to living plants. 280 00:14:28,140 --> 00:14:31,807 (inspiring music continues) 281 00:14:35,667 --> 00:14:39,870 (vehicle horn honking) (water sloshing) 282 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,450 We've stumbled upon a very rare species of scientist, 283 00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:45,810 a mycologist, and this one specializes 284 00:14:45,860 --> 00:14:47,323 in growing edible fungi. 285 00:14:48,537 --> 00:14:51,000 (inspiring music fades) 286 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,480 During my tenure [research work], 287 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,960 I conducted 2,500 training sessions 288 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,760 through north-east India. 289 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,200 I developed such an easy technology 290 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,480 and this can be cultivated all year. 291 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,400 It is called Pleurotus ostreatus. 292 00:15:08,730 --> 00:15:12,030 - So what happens here is that Dr. A.K. Bordoloi 293 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,010 gives the mushroom spawn to the villages, 294 00:15:15,060 --> 00:15:18,490 and then they mix it up to make the mushroom compost 295 00:15:18,540 --> 00:15:20,790 and grow mushrooms with it. 296 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,520 I wanted to inspire people to cultivate mushrooms 297 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,280 so they can profit from it. 298 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:31,080 People in our villages are so poor, 299 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,040 but if they take spawn from me, they can cultivate mushrooms. 300 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,120 They can sell their cultivated mushrooms back to me 301 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,080 and with that money, they can buy their groceries. 302 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,000 And their investment is... they have got rice straw, 303 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,160 they have pots for boiling, firewood, 304 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,280 they've got bamboo mats for drying. 305 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,160 They only have to get the spawn from me 306 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,000 and plastic bags from the market. 307 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,920 This is all that is needed to buy, nothing else. 308 00:16:00,970 --> 00:16:03,600 - [Dr. Bordoloi] We can harvest four to five days. 309 00:16:03,650 --> 00:16:06,563 - So how much total do you get out of one bag? 310 00:16:07,561 --> 00:16:10,630 - 1 to 1 1/2 Kg. 311 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:12,340 - Up to 1 1/2 kilograms. 312 00:16:12,390 --> 00:16:13,195 - Yes. 313 00:16:13,245 --> 00:16:14,959 - That's, six by 48, 314 00:16:15,009 --> 00:16:18,530 300 kilograms in here. - Yeah, yeah. 315 00:16:18,580 --> 00:16:21,640 - That's a lot of mushrooms. (laughs) 316 00:16:21,690 --> 00:16:25,430 How has it been for you in terms of money, doing this? 317 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,040 Since I've been doing this production, 318 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,400 I've got many benefits. 319 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,880 There is the extra income on top of my income from the tea garden 320 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,800 which I can use for other [farm] works. 321 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,440 It doesn't require much time. 322 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,160 There's not much time spent on this. 323 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,480 We spray it with water in the morning and evening, 324 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,280 and we have to check if the water content is OK, 325 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,600 and then we have to spray as required. 326 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:57,120 In 20 days, he will earn 10,000 INR [US$143] per month. 327 00:16:58,537 --> 00:17:00,787 - For how many hours' work? 328 00:17:02,217 --> 00:17:03,956 - 2 1/2 hours daily. - Daily. 329 00:17:04,006 --> 00:17:06,150 - 2 1/2 hours daily. 330 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,440 In other types of farmwork, you have to work for hours 331 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,520 and a lot of time is spent working. 332 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,160 And you don't get time to do anything or go anywhere. 333 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,840 With this cultivation, you just need to water it in the morning 334 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,090 and then check it in the afternoon around three o'clock. 335 00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:20,550 - Yeah, it's a lot of money 336 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,025 for growing in a little shed like this. 337 00:17:22,075 --> 00:17:24,406 (dreamy music) 338 00:17:24,456 --> 00:17:26,572 Are they nice to eat? 339 00:17:29,802 --> 00:17:30,874 - Good. (chuckles) 340 00:17:30,924 --> 00:17:35,924 (vehicle engine sputtering) (dreamy music continues) 341 00:17:38,900 --> 00:17:42,800 The next stop on our fungi adventure is Arunachal Pradesh 342 00:17:42,850 --> 00:17:45,093 in the far northeast corner of India. 343 00:17:45,143 --> 00:17:50,143 (boat engine sputtering) (dreamy music continues) 344 00:17:50,170 --> 00:17:52,944 (vehicle horns honking) 345 00:17:52,994 --> 00:17:55,767 (man shouting) 346 00:17:55,817 --> 00:17:59,210 Arunachal is one of the most culturally diverse regions 347 00:17:59,260 --> 00:18:01,925 in Asia, with 25 major tribes. 348 00:18:01,975 --> 00:18:03,960 (drums beating) (cymbals clinking) 349 00:18:04,010 --> 00:18:07,310 They include the Buddhists in the high-mountain areas 350 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:09,279 near the Tibetan border. 351 00:18:09,329 --> 00:18:11,440 (dancers chanting) 352 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:14,450 And many tribes who live on the forest fringe 353 00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:15,869 and traditionally worship nature. 354 00:18:15,919 --> 00:18:19,037 (dancers singing in foreign language) 355 00:18:19,087 --> 00:18:21,210 (bell ringing) 356 00:18:21,260 --> 00:18:25,193 We've been told they know a lot more about forest fungi. 357 00:18:25,243 --> 00:18:26,477 There's something over here? 358 00:18:26,527 --> 00:18:28,940 Ooh! It's a beauty, isn't it? 359 00:18:28,990 --> 00:18:30,590 Are these edible? You eat these? 360 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,547 - Yes, edible. Yeah. - Yes? 361 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:34,847 Okay. - Okay, finally, 362 00:18:34,897 --> 00:18:36,897 we got something to eat. 363 00:18:37,904 --> 00:18:40,071 - They look like they're good specimens, too. 364 00:18:40,121 --> 00:18:41,490 (dreamy music) 365 00:18:41,540 --> 00:18:45,330 This fungus is often called the parasol mushroom. 366 00:18:45,380 --> 00:18:47,210 It is an edible species, 367 00:18:47,260 --> 00:18:50,340 very popular and sough after in Europe. 368 00:18:50,390 --> 00:18:54,510 Its name is Macrolepiota procera. 369 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,423 There's some more here. Wow. 370 00:18:58,660 --> 00:19:00,537 I've gotta take a photo of those two. 371 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:03,340 They're so beautifully highlighted 372 00:19:03,390 --> 00:19:05,003 against the dark background. 373 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:08,710 These mushrooms are in the same family 374 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,410 as a fungus most of us are familiar with: 375 00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:12,760 the common field mushroom. 376 00:19:15,210 --> 00:19:19,020 But it also looks similar to a poisonous mushroom: 377 00:19:19,070 --> 00:19:20,523 the shaggy parasol. 378 00:19:27,950 --> 00:19:31,420 I hope our guides have identified this one correctly, 379 00:19:31,470 --> 00:19:33,460 because these specimens are destined 380 00:19:33,510 --> 00:19:34,993 for our dinner plate tonight. 381 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,292 This is a Xylaria or a species of Xylaria? 382 00:19:43,342 --> 00:19:45,430 - [Man] This the part of mushroom? 383 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:46,890 - Yes, these are mushrooms. 384 00:19:46,940 --> 00:19:49,019 Probably not edible. 385 00:19:49,069 --> 00:19:50,280 (man groans) 386 00:19:50,330 --> 00:19:52,010 Most people think of mushrooms 387 00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:54,780 as a conventional thing with a stem 388 00:19:54,830 --> 00:19:58,760 like the mushrooms over here growing on the tree. 389 00:19:58,810 --> 00:20:00,955 But these are also fruiting bodies of fungi. 390 00:20:01,005 --> 00:20:03,838 (inspiring music) 391 00:20:06,810 --> 00:20:09,380 Over 100 species of Xylaria 392 00:20:09,430 --> 00:20:11,360 have been identified in the world 393 00:20:11,410 --> 00:20:15,203 and they come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. 394 00:20:17,260 --> 00:20:21,529 Some of the largest species are known as dead man's fingers. 395 00:20:21,579 --> 00:20:23,153 (chuckling) For obvious reasons. 396 00:20:28,250 --> 00:20:30,720 It's the amazing diversity of fungi, 397 00:20:30,770 --> 00:20:33,080 the colors and the forms 398 00:20:33,130 --> 00:20:35,890 and the way it interacts with other life of the forest, 399 00:20:35,940 --> 00:20:38,191 that I find endlessly fascinating. 400 00:20:38,241 --> 00:20:39,941 (bird calling) 401 00:20:39,991 --> 00:20:42,921 (shutter clicks) 402 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,520 Do people eat this? 403 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,000 No, people don't eat this. 404 00:20:48,540 --> 00:20:50,910 - He said this particular mushroom, 405 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,240 it flowers for a very small time. 406 00:20:53,290 --> 00:20:55,820 When it rains, it starts flowering. 407 00:20:55,870 --> 00:20:59,060 And when the sun comes up, 408 00:20:59,110 --> 00:21:01,240 then it dies very soon. 409 00:21:01,290 --> 00:21:04,063 So he said this is very hard to find here. 410 00:21:04,990 --> 00:21:07,700 He also added that this is mostly eaten 411 00:21:07,750 --> 00:21:09,493 by the rats, not by humans. 412 00:21:12,633 --> 00:21:13,786 (utensil clanging) 413 00:21:13,836 --> 00:21:15,970 - It's the moment of truth. 414 00:21:16,020 --> 00:21:20,197 Just how edible are the mushrooms we collected today? 415 00:21:20,247 --> 00:21:24,080 Our chef lets us in on his secret soup recipe. 416 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:30,040 I boil the mushroom, then I put some ginger 417 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:36,280 and a little rice with it as it cooks. 418 00:21:37,273 --> 00:21:40,848 The soup is simple, but the taste, really excellent. 419 00:21:40,898 --> 00:21:43,481 (upbeat music) 420 00:21:44,820 --> 00:21:48,280 Today, we're leaving the plains of Assam behind 421 00:21:48,330 --> 00:21:50,679 and heading up into the hills of Meghalaya. 422 00:21:50,729 --> 00:21:55,729 (raindrops pattering) (upbeat music continues) 423 00:22:02,380 --> 00:22:05,290 Meghalaya is one of the wettest places on Earth, 424 00:22:05,340 --> 00:22:08,373 which is just perfect for mushrooms. 425 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,500 But before we head into the forest, 426 00:22:11,550 --> 00:22:13,980 we're going to visit the town of Jowai, 427 00:22:14,030 --> 00:22:18,162 because we've heard today is a very special celebration. 428 00:22:18,212 --> 00:22:22,712 (people chanting in foreign language) 429 00:22:23,970 --> 00:22:27,798 It's Behdeinkhlam, a festival all about cleansing. 430 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,800 First we'll serve the people at the front 431 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,200 and then the others at the back. 432 00:22:36,243 --> 00:22:39,071 (people chanting in foreign language) 433 00:22:39,121 --> 00:22:40,840 The first ritual of the day 434 00:22:40,890 --> 00:22:44,880 is to beat everyone's house with bamboo poles 435 00:22:44,930 --> 00:22:47,253 to drive away evil spirits and disease. 436 00:22:48,810 --> 00:22:51,520 The beaters get a gift of home brew, paan, 437 00:22:51,570 --> 00:22:53,823 and chewing tobacco for their efforts. 438 00:22:56,970 --> 00:22:58,890 Then it's time to put the final touches 439 00:22:58,940 --> 00:23:02,923 on tall decorated towers called raths. 440 00:23:02,973 --> 00:23:05,341 (drums beating) 441 00:23:05,391 --> 00:23:09,641 (men shouting in foreign language) 442 00:23:13,953 --> 00:23:16,515 (festive music) 443 00:23:16,565 --> 00:23:19,810 The raths are destined for a pond in the middle of town. 444 00:23:19,860 --> 00:23:21,310 But getting them there turns out 445 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:23,473 to be part of the theater of the festival. 446 00:23:28,940 --> 00:23:31,390 This is a totally crazy festival. 447 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:32,990 I haven't been to one where people 448 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,870 have so clearly enjoyed themselves. 449 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,920 There's all these little crazy groups. 450 00:23:37,970 --> 00:23:41,857 The stage is now set for act three of Behdienkhlam. 451 00:23:43,490 --> 00:23:46,430 The men, lined up on the edge of the stadium's pond, 452 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,083 are in family teams. 453 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:51,432 The role of the pond was a big mystery 454 00:23:51,482 --> 00:23:54,574 until the blue team did the unthinkable. 455 00:23:54,624 --> 00:23:57,457 (people shouting) 456 00:24:01,210 --> 00:24:02,730 Of course, being India, 457 00:24:02,780 --> 00:24:05,690 there is a spiritual side to all this mayhem. 458 00:24:05,740 --> 00:24:08,290 These Jaintia tribes are animists, 459 00:24:08,340 --> 00:24:10,320 and this festival is to make sure 460 00:24:10,370 --> 00:24:12,410 the crops they've recently planted 461 00:24:12,460 --> 00:24:14,051 grow into a bumper harvest. 462 00:24:14,101 --> 00:24:17,601 (Jaintia people chanting) 463 00:24:21,004 --> 00:24:26,004 All this splashing of water washes away any bad spirits. 464 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:27,820 And the sapling they're carrying 465 00:24:27,870 --> 00:24:30,403 represents rebirth and new growth. 466 00:24:34,337 --> 00:24:38,050 With the ritual for the blue and yellow teams now complete, 467 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:39,628 everyone gets to have a go. 468 00:24:39,678 --> 00:24:43,030 (people and children shouting) 469 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,780 There's another rath coming down here now. 470 00:24:45,830 --> 00:24:48,293 They're all gonna drown in it. 471 00:24:48,343 --> 00:24:50,960 With no regard for life or limb, 472 00:24:51,010 --> 00:24:54,213 the raths are taken into the pond to join in the fun. 473 00:24:54,263 --> 00:24:59,263 (drums continue beating) (people shouting) 474 00:25:01,790 --> 00:25:03,290 I'm pinching myself. 475 00:25:03,340 --> 00:25:06,080 Who would've thought that fungi would open the door 476 00:25:06,130 --> 00:25:08,597 to this unforgettable experience? 477 00:25:08,647 --> 00:25:11,230 (dreamy music) 478 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,260 We're heading up to about 2,500 meters 479 00:25:22,310 --> 00:25:24,203 into the East Khasi Hills. 480 00:25:31,938 --> 00:25:32,721 (cow moos) 481 00:25:32,771 --> 00:25:36,330 Our first forest is a biologist's paradise: 482 00:25:36,380 --> 00:25:38,310 the Sacred Grove of Mawphlang. 483 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:39,333 Yeah, okay. 484 00:25:41,951 --> 00:25:45,262 - Mawphlang Sacred Grove is about more than 500 years old 485 00:25:45,312 --> 00:25:48,200 and it was being conserved and preserved 486 00:25:48,250 --> 00:25:51,373 by the local community to rites and rituals. 487 00:25:52,370 --> 00:25:55,890 We know that true sacred groves, it acts as a gene pool. 488 00:25:55,940 --> 00:26:00,940 We know that we have some endemic species of trees, 489 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:02,927 flowers or orchids we will see, 490 00:26:02,977 --> 00:26:05,400 and also the medicinal plants. 491 00:26:05,450 --> 00:26:09,790 A host of more than 450 tree species, 492 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:10,623 including herbs. 493 00:26:10,673 --> 00:26:12,820 We also see that, I think, we're having here 494 00:26:12,870 --> 00:26:16,330 around 50 to 60 type of mushrooms. 495 00:26:16,380 --> 00:26:18,220 But, most of all, we would like also 496 00:26:18,270 --> 00:26:20,248 to know little bit more about mushrooms. 497 00:26:20,298 --> 00:26:22,070 (shutter clicks) 498 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,730 - This is a beefsteak fungus, it's called. 499 00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:29,660 I've seen these in Tasmania and in China, 500 00:26:29,710 --> 00:26:31,193 so they're quite widespread. 501 00:26:32,620 --> 00:26:35,090 The local people say that they're edible, 502 00:26:35,140 --> 00:26:37,271 which fits with the name of beefsteak. 503 00:26:37,321 --> 00:26:40,238 (shutter clicking) 504 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:45,470 These are quite an interesting fungus. 505 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,570 They do eat these ones here in Meghalaya, 506 00:26:48,620 --> 00:26:51,263 and they certainly eat them in China as well. 507 00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:57,260 This one's a rather pretty shell fungus. 508 00:26:57,310 --> 00:27:00,240 It's got a dark, chocolatey brown on top 509 00:27:00,290 --> 00:27:02,190 with a golden yellow rim 510 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,100 and then going to a beautiful cream underneath. 511 00:27:05,150 --> 00:27:08,813 I suspect that it's a parasitic fungi, though I'm not sure. 512 00:27:09,740 --> 00:27:11,990 But often, these parasitic fungi 513 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,830 will live on the tree for quite a long time. 514 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,330 When the tree eventually dies, 515 00:27:16,380 --> 00:27:19,203 then they'll consume the rest of the deadwood. 516 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:25,080 This is subtropical rainforest, and it's much more pristine 517 00:27:25,130 --> 00:27:27,750 than any forest we've been in so far 518 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,456 that it's really quite a beautiful forest. 519 00:27:29,506 --> 00:27:31,817 There's a lot of biodiversity here. 520 00:27:31,867 --> 00:27:32,900 (dreamy music) 521 00:27:32,950 --> 00:27:36,043 There are 105 sacred groves in Meghalaya. 522 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:39,100 They vary a great deal in size, 523 00:27:39,150 --> 00:27:42,680 from this one here at Mawphlang, which is 75 hectares, 524 00:27:42,730 --> 00:27:44,363 to tiny reserves. 525 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,000 Because they're spiritual places, the local people believe 526 00:27:49,050 --> 00:27:52,010 that deities who live here will be offended 527 00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:55,560 if trees are cut and twigs, flowers, fruits, 528 00:27:55,610 --> 00:27:57,383 and yes, even fungi, are plucked. 529 00:27:59,110 --> 00:28:03,780 We were told many stories of bad luck, tragedy, and disaster 530 00:28:03,830 --> 00:28:05,343 for those who broke the rules. 531 00:28:07,340 --> 00:28:08,390 The upside of this 532 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:12,190 is that sacred groves protect biodiversity, 533 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:16,040 and they became our go-to place for fungi across Meghalaya, 534 00:28:16,090 --> 00:28:18,580 with some fabulous finds. (dreamy music ends) 535 00:28:18,630 --> 00:28:21,870 These look really exciting 'cause they're very similar 536 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,220 to ones that we find in Australia. 537 00:28:25,270 --> 00:28:28,900 If you look underneath them, they're almost identical. 538 00:28:28,950 --> 00:28:32,193 It's Mycena leaiana. Very pretty. 539 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,609 And this is a species that I quite frequently time-lapse. 540 00:28:35,659 --> 00:28:38,826 (contemplative music) 541 00:28:51,605 --> 00:28:53,992 (contemplative music fades) 542 00:28:54,042 --> 00:28:56,792 (water sloshing) 543 00:29:00,260 --> 00:29:02,130 The other forest type in Meghalaya 544 00:29:02,180 --> 00:29:04,760 that we are told is just brilliant for fungi 545 00:29:04,810 --> 00:29:06,580 is their pine forests. 546 00:29:06,630 --> 00:29:09,490 The locals promise they will be especially good 547 00:29:09,540 --> 00:29:10,773 for edible fungi. 548 00:29:11,770 --> 00:29:14,185 This is a mushroom that was found for us. 549 00:29:14,235 --> 00:29:16,763 It's slightly pink. 550 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,980 And a little bit green in places as well. 551 00:29:22,030 --> 00:29:24,320 But I don't know terribly much about it. 552 00:29:24,370 --> 00:29:26,180 What do you call this mushroom? 553 00:29:26,230 --> 00:29:27,240 - Blood mushroom. 554 00:29:27,290 --> 00:29:28,950 - Blood mushroom. - This is the blood mushroom. 555 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,030 - Yeah. 556 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,200 - [Stephen] So you eat this mushroom? 557 00:29:32,250 --> 00:29:34,303 - [Translator] (speaks in foreign language) Yeah. 558 00:29:36,390 --> 00:29:37,284 - [Man] Inside red. 559 00:29:37,334 --> 00:29:38,167 - Aha. 560 00:29:40,730 --> 00:29:43,729 So if you break it around, - Yeah. 561 00:29:43,779 --> 00:29:45,310 It become red, red. 562 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,756 - around the edge there, it bleeds red. 563 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,040 How do you cook this mushroom? 564 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:57,200 We cook it by frying or boiling. Either. 565 00:29:59,991 --> 00:30:01,512 They found another one there? 566 00:30:01,562 --> 00:30:04,070 - [Gautam] Yeah, got a little one. 567 00:30:06,713 --> 00:30:09,703 - [Stephen] Oh, yeah. You eat these. 568 00:30:11,020 --> 00:30:12,780 Very pretty. - [Gautam] Yeah. 569 00:30:12,830 --> 00:30:14,830 - What do you call them? 570 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:24,400 - Blue. - No charcoal mushroom. 571 00:30:24,770 --> 00:30:26,302 - Charcoal mushroom. - Yeah. 572 00:30:26,352 --> 00:30:29,230 - How do they prepare them for eating? Do they fry them? 573 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,000 Yes, we fry it and we also boil it 574 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,600 and cook it with herbs and spices. 575 00:30:38,057 --> 00:30:39,200 (shutter clicks) 576 00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:40,563 - [Stephen] They're beautiful. 577 00:30:41,729 --> 00:30:43,740 Oh, now, what have we got here? 578 00:30:43,790 --> 00:30:45,870 Do you know this sort of mushroom? 579 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,760 - Yes, we call it (speaks in foreign language). 580 00:30:48,897 --> 00:30:53,897 (speaks in foreign language) is the breast, yes. 581 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:55,940 And because- - So, the boob fungi. 582 00:30:55,990 --> 00:30:58,190 - The boob fungus. (chuckling) Yes. 583 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:02,610 Because when we break this, we get the white oozes, 584 00:31:02,660 --> 00:31:05,680 which is similar to the milk from the breast. 585 00:31:05,730 --> 00:31:08,410 That's how it got its name. 586 00:31:08,460 --> 00:31:10,660 - [Stephen] What is this little insect? 587 00:31:10,710 --> 00:31:12,200 - [Nangsan] Do mushrooms have pests? 588 00:31:12,250 --> 00:31:14,570 - A lot of insects will eat mushrooms. 589 00:31:14,620 --> 00:31:15,800 It's good for the mushrooms 590 00:31:15,850 --> 00:31:18,230 because the insects help to spread the spores. 591 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,250 - The spores, mm-hmm. - Yeah. 592 00:31:20,300 --> 00:31:23,870 So the spores come from these gills 593 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,980 and they fall down from the mushroom. 594 00:31:26,030 --> 00:31:29,710 So the mushroom is up like that, the spores fall down, 595 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,393 and there's billions of them that come out. 596 00:31:32,443 --> 00:31:33,656 And they'll be spread by the wind- 597 00:31:33,706 --> 00:31:35,280 - Microscopic little spores. 598 00:31:35,330 --> 00:31:36,933 - Absolutely microscopic. 599 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:40,143 (shutter clicks) 600 00:31:40,193 --> 00:31:43,390 The general name for this type of fungus is Lactaria. 601 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,523 So when I break it, you'll see some milk come out of it. 602 00:31:47,530 --> 00:31:48,850 - [Nangsan] Wow, that's a lot. 603 00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:51,300 - Milk just oozes out. 604 00:31:51,350 --> 00:31:52,640 So are these edible? 605 00:31:52,690 --> 00:31:53,780 - Yes, these are. 606 00:31:53,830 --> 00:31:55,710 In fact, these are very tasty, 607 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,770 and in the market they have a very high price. 608 00:31:58,820 --> 00:32:01,820 For a kilo, it costs about 400 rupees. 609 00:32:01,870 --> 00:32:05,859 - Okay. So that's about $6 US. 610 00:32:05,909 --> 00:32:07,740 (dreamy music) 611 00:32:07,790 --> 00:32:09,083 Which is quite expensive. 612 00:32:15,170 --> 00:32:17,950 All the edible fungi we're seeing in this forest 613 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,020 are ectomycorrhizal. 614 00:32:20,070 --> 00:32:23,513 These are the fungi that live mutualistically with plants. 615 00:32:24,630 --> 00:32:27,120 What that means is that, underground, 616 00:32:27,170 --> 00:32:28,890 the mycelium of the fungus 617 00:32:28,940 --> 00:32:31,430 attaches to the roots of the trees 618 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,970 and its tiny threads draw up minerals 619 00:32:34,020 --> 00:32:35,723 and water into the tree. 620 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:40,039 In return, the tree provides the fungi with carbohydrates. 621 00:32:40,089 --> 00:32:43,506 (dreamy music continues) 622 00:32:45,910 --> 00:32:49,288 Without fungi, there would be no forest. 623 00:32:49,338 --> 00:32:54,338 (shutter clicking) (dreamy music continues) 624 00:33:02,070 --> 00:33:03,220 We're privileged to work 625 00:33:03,270 --> 00:33:05,550 with many brilliant guides in Meghalaya, 626 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,810 but, by far, the most knowledgeable 627 00:33:07,860 --> 00:33:10,290 and the most entertaining is a Khasi woman 628 00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:14,639 introduced to us as Kong, which means sister. 629 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,880 Have you got those and these mushrooms? 630 00:33:19,368 --> 00:33:21,035 So what is this one? 631 00:33:23,861 --> 00:33:25,720 - (speaking in foreign language) Yellow mushroom. 632 00:33:25,770 --> 00:33:26,553 - Yellow mushroom. 633 00:33:26,603 --> 00:33:30,097 And this one is edible, no? 634 00:33:32,323 --> 00:33:33,870 - This is not edible. 635 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:35,190 - This one's not edible. 636 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,440 How do you know it's not edible? 637 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,320 I took it home and ate it. 638 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:40,880 - Who ate it? - I did. 639 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:41,880 And then? 640 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,800 I was sweating and my clothes were soaked. 641 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:48,520 I had to wring the water out. 642 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,680 I was shivering. 643 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:56,480 I just wanted to test because I liked the look of it. 644 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,160 So I took it home, boiled it and ate it. 645 00:34:00,526 --> 00:34:02,211 - I don't think we need a translation of that. 646 00:34:02,261 --> 00:34:04,070 - (laughing) Yeah, I know. - That was terrific. 647 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,830 - (laughing) I know. - You get fever and you... 648 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,200 When I first saw this yellow mushroom, 649 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:14,720 it is beautiful and I was interested to taste it. 650 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,320 Only I ate it. 651 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,040 The children were scared and said, 652 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,000 "Mum, you're going to die," 653 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:21,600 but I said, "I will not die. 654 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:26,960 "When the fever passes... I'll not die." 655 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,003 This one is the poisonous one. 656 00:34:31,780 --> 00:34:33,462 That's a good view. 657 00:34:33,512 --> 00:34:36,300 (shutter clicking) 658 00:34:36,350 --> 00:34:39,270 It's lucky that Kong lived to tell this tale. 659 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,980 But her experiment with fungi, we discovered, 660 00:34:42,030 --> 00:34:43,190 came from the necessity 661 00:34:43,240 --> 00:34:46,990 to feed herself and her children when her husband died. 662 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:51,390 She was left penniless and a single mum with five kids. 663 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:55,640 This mushroom here, people eat it, but I don't. 664 00:34:55,720 --> 00:35:01,800 It smells like soil, which I don't like, 665 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,440 so we don't eat it. 666 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:09,920 We call it huge tree log mushroom. 667 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,880 I know most of the mushrooms here. 668 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,000 In my childhood, I saw our village elders 669 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:18,280 picking up various types of wild edible mushrooms from the forest 670 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,040 so I also picked them and ate them. 671 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:25,200 There are lots of edible varieties 672 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,240 and also non-edible varieties. 673 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,600 If I like them, I eat them. 674 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:35,920 If I don't like them, I don't pick them and I don't eat them. 675 00:35:37,075 --> 00:35:41,180 This is probably a puffball. It's quite hard. 676 00:35:41,230 --> 00:35:43,567 I'll need to cut it open to have a look on the inside. 677 00:35:43,617 --> 00:35:47,039 Ask her if it's okay if I cut it open. 678 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,760 - Yes, he can cut it. - Is it edible? 679 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:56,800 Yes, it is edible. Let me show you. I have a knife. 680 00:35:58,431 --> 00:35:59,390 - [Kong] Oh, don't. 681 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,320 Cut, cut, cut. 682 00:36:07,485 --> 00:36:10,340 - She said this one is also a tasty mushroom 683 00:36:10,390 --> 00:36:12,587 and they do love it. 684 00:36:12,637 --> 00:36:14,470 - How do they cook it? 685 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:21,320 We don't want the skin, so first we remove the skin. 686 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,680 Then you slice it in the middle like this. 687 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,920 Then you fry it. 688 00:36:27,385 --> 00:36:30,030 - So, chips. - [Gautam] Yup. (chuckles) 689 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,000 I've tried many unknown wild mushrooms 690 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:33,480 and nothing bad happened. 691 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,720 I like them and I also find them tasty to eat. 692 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:40,480 Before I eat them, I boil the mushrooms I collect, 693 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:45,760 boil them in water, 694 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:50,040 and then I deep fry them in oil. 695 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:53,840 Then I feed them to my children and I also eat them. 696 00:36:54,158 --> 00:36:56,825 (playful music) 697 00:37:06,163 --> 00:37:08,837 - This is an interesting one. 698 00:37:08,887 --> 00:37:10,557 I've seen something like it before 699 00:37:10,607 --> 00:37:13,093 but I'm not quite sure what you call it. 700 00:37:14,490 --> 00:37:19,000 It's like a mushroom that's completely folded up on itself. 701 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,920 - Chillum mushroom. What does Chillum mean? - [Stephen] Chillum. 702 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,680 Chillum means smoking, 703 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:31,720 like smoking tobacco in a pipe that looks like this mushroom. 704 00:37:33,150 --> 00:37:35,293 So it looks like a chillum pipe. 705 00:37:36,620 --> 00:37:38,767 Long with a hole in the end. 706 00:37:39,929 --> 00:37:41,574 - Chillum. (both laughing) 707 00:37:41,624 --> 00:37:42,457 Chillum. 708 00:37:44,091 --> 00:37:44,924 Chillum. 709 00:37:46,717 --> 00:37:48,810 - I'm not quite sure why it's so funny 710 00:37:48,860 --> 00:37:51,407 but maybe I'm saying something completely different. 711 00:37:51,457 --> 00:37:53,410 (Stephen and Gautam laugh) 712 00:37:53,460 --> 00:37:55,610 And he's not gonna tell me what I'm saying. 713 00:37:56,643 --> 00:37:58,068 Do you eat this one? 714 00:37:58,118 --> 00:38:00,154 (Gautam and Kong speaking in foreign language) 715 00:38:00,204 --> 00:38:02,113 - It is edible. - It's edible. 716 00:38:03,386 --> 00:38:06,201 (Kong speaking in foreign language) 717 00:38:06,251 --> 00:38:08,990 (chuckles) We have another mushroom over here, I think. 718 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,253 We have these ones. 719 00:38:10,303 --> 00:38:12,432 (Kong speaking in foreign language) 720 00:38:12,482 --> 00:38:14,050 - Not eat. - [Stephen] Not eat. 721 00:38:14,100 --> 00:38:15,710 - No eat, no? 722 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,040 - Yeah, you eat the chillum. 723 00:38:18,090 --> 00:38:19,172 Chillum. - Bam bam. 724 00:38:19,222 --> 00:38:21,301 - Bam bam. Bam bam? 725 00:38:21,351 --> 00:38:22,698 - [Kong] No bam. - No bam. 726 00:38:22,748 --> 00:38:25,464 (Kong laughs) - [Gautam] Bam means eating. 727 00:38:25,514 --> 00:38:26,436 So that is not edible. - Ah. 728 00:38:26,486 --> 00:38:28,118 No bam. Bam bam. - Bam bam. 729 00:38:28,168 --> 00:38:29,565 (all laughing) 730 00:38:29,615 --> 00:38:32,198 (dreamy music) 731 00:38:38,210 --> 00:38:41,362 - Wow. What have we got here? 732 00:38:41,412 --> 00:38:45,057 This look very like a Cordyceps species. 733 00:38:46,430 --> 00:38:47,980 I think Cordyceps 734 00:38:48,030 --> 00:38:51,120 are some of the coolest fungi on the planet. 735 00:38:51,170 --> 00:38:53,930 I've photographed a huge variety of them 736 00:38:53,980 --> 00:38:57,453 in China and Thailand, and they never cease to amaze me. 737 00:38:58,500 --> 00:39:02,780 They are parasitic fungi that generally infect live insects 738 00:39:02,830 --> 00:39:04,373 and gradually kill them. 739 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,440 Those colored things that you can see 740 00:39:07,490 --> 00:39:09,010 growing out of the insects 741 00:39:09,060 --> 00:39:11,850 are actually the fruiting bodies of the fungus. 742 00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:14,368 They're mushrooms. 743 00:39:14,418 --> 00:39:17,501 (dreamy music fades) 744 00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:21,870 You see, this is the insect here? It's a beetle. 745 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:24,320 And the fungus has killed the beetle. 746 00:39:24,370 --> 00:39:26,470 And the fruiting bodies of the mushroom 747 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:28,303 coming out of the beetle. 748 00:39:28,353 --> 00:39:30,720 - This is not edible. - You don't eat this type? 749 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,280 - No. - Have you seen this one before? 750 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:35,560 I haven't seen this one, 751 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,360 but I have seen something similar as sir [Stephen] said. 752 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,374 There are similar mushrooms that are a different species. 753 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,000 This one is yellow on top, 754 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,920 but I've seen a similar black one with white on top. 755 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,014 Have you seen mushrooms growing from an insect before? 756 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:48,494 - Oh, no. - You haven't seen it before? 757 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,454 I haven't checked before. I haven't seen this before. 758 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:52,240 You're seeing this kind for the first time. 759 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,254 Yes, first time I've seen a mushroom growing from an insect. 760 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:55,840 I haven't checked before. 761 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:58,320 Do you find it interesting? 762 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,640 Of course it is. It's great to know where mushrooms grow. 763 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:09,560 They grow on different things, like this one grew on an insect. 764 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:14,880 Others grow from soil, some grow from leaves 765 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:18,200 and some grow on dead wood and litter as well. 766 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:19,280 Right! 767 00:40:19,712 --> 00:40:22,462 - But this is the first time she has seen this, 768 00:40:22,512 --> 00:40:25,180 the Cordycep, and she's very excited to know it. 769 00:40:25,230 --> 00:40:27,510 - I'm glad we can teach something in return. 770 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,520 This is great. Nice, huh? 771 00:40:31,188 --> 00:40:32,870 (engine sputtering) (brakes squeal) 772 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,280 Today, we're heading to our final destination 773 00:40:35,330 --> 00:40:39,030 on this fungi adventure, the remote town of Mawlynnong, 774 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:41,076 where India meets Bangladesh. 775 00:40:41,126 --> 00:40:44,680 (vehicle horns honking) 776 00:40:44,730 --> 00:40:47,200 But, along our route, we pass through Shillong, 777 00:40:47,250 --> 00:40:51,180 the capital of Meghalaya, and decide to pay a quick visit 778 00:40:51,230 --> 00:40:54,417 to see what mushrooms the locals might be selling. 779 00:40:54,467 --> 00:40:57,212 (woman singing in foreign language) 780 00:40:57,262 --> 00:41:01,929 (people chattering in foreign language) 781 00:41:04,390 --> 00:41:08,710 We can only find one stall, but it is doing a roaring trade 782 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:13,500 in dried shiitakes and fabulous-looking fresh Termitomyces. 783 00:41:13,550 --> 00:41:14,668 Does she collect these herself? 784 00:41:14,718 --> 00:41:17,209 - [Translator] Yeah, she collected by herself. 785 00:41:17,259 --> 00:41:21,400 They grow on the trees and we collect them. 786 00:41:22,180 --> 00:41:23,199 - [Stephen] So they grow on wood 787 00:41:23,249 --> 00:41:24,689 up in the trees? - [Translator] Yeah. 788 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:29,960 They are growing on the roots of only the dead trees 789 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,030 and they grow in a bunch together. 790 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:34,930 - [Stephen] Okay. So just in one spot in the forest? 791 00:41:34,980 --> 00:41:35,763 - [Translator] Yeah. - [Stephen] Do you know 792 00:41:35,813 --> 00:41:38,430 what sort of trees they grow on? 793 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,480 They grow on the Baram [Castanopsis]. 794 00:41:43,164 --> 00:41:44,445 - They call it Baram. 795 00:41:44,495 --> 00:41:45,745 - Baram. - Yeah. 796 00:41:46,617 --> 00:41:49,284 - [Stephen] And these mushrooms? 797 00:41:50,380 --> 00:41:52,643 - [Translator] They call it (speaking in foreign language). 798 00:41:52,693 --> 00:41:55,360 - So she- - She collect it by herself. 799 00:41:55,410 --> 00:41:56,820 - You collected them? 800 00:41:56,870 --> 00:41:57,706 Yes. 801 00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:02,488 So how much do you charge for these ones? 802 00:42:02,538 --> 00:42:04,380 - [Translator and Vendor] 400. 803 00:42:04,430 --> 00:42:06,717 - 400 per kilo? - 400 per kilo, yeah. 804 00:42:06,767 --> 00:42:07,647 - And these ones? 805 00:42:07,697 --> 00:42:08,530 - 1,400. 806 00:42:09,408 --> 00:42:11,702 - [Translator] 1,400 in one kilo. 807 00:42:11,752 --> 00:42:13,206 - [Stephen] 1,400 for one kilo. 808 00:42:13,256 --> 00:42:14,529 - [Translator] Yeah. 809 00:42:14,579 --> 00:42:15,996 - 1,400 is about, 810 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:20,703 about 20 US dollars per kilo. 811 00:42:22,476 --> 00:42:26,750 And 400 is, so 6 US dollars per kilo. 812 00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:31,080 So these ones are really quite expensive. 813 00:42:31,130 --> 00:42:33,380 Did you dry these yourself? 814 00:42:36,590 --> 00:42:38,360 - Yeah, she dried it herself. 815 00:42:38,410 --> 00:42:40,960 - So collected them herself, dried them herself, 816 00:42:41,010 --> 00:42:42,529 and then comes to the market and sells them. 817 00:42:42,579 --> 00:42:45,157 (upbeat music) - Yeah. 818 00:42:45,207 --> 00:42:49,030 - In the 10 minutes we steal from this busy mushroom dealer, 819 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:52,453 her shiitakes are proving to be very popular, 820 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:56,200 and she's completely sold out of Termitomyces, 821 00:42:56,250 --> 00:42:59,283 earning more than 50 US dollars. 822 00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:04,821 Not bad for a morning's takings in this part of the world. 823 00:43:04,871 --> 00:43:08,288 (upbeat music continues) 824 00:43:18,872 --> 00:43:22,039 (raindrops pattering) 825 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,190 Our last stop is in this beautiful rainforest, 826 00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:31,300 right in the border of Bangladesh and Meghalaya. 827 00:43:31,350 --> 00:43:33,410 Out there are the plains, 828 00:43:33,460 --> 00:43:36,330 flooded plains as well, of Bangladesh, 829 00:43:36,380 --> 00:43:37,837 and all around to the other side 830 00:43:37,887 --> 00:43:41,970 are these beautiful waterfalls and plateaus, 831 00:43:42,020 --> 00:43:44,863 the water just dropping down to Bangladesh. 832 00:43:46,109 --> 00:43:48,776 (rooster crows) 833 00:43:49,610 --> 00:43:51,870 Mawlynnong prides itself on a claim 834 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:55,250 that it's the tidiest town in Asia. 835 00:43:55,300 --> 00:43:56,523 And it is very pretty. 836 00:43:58,573 --> 00:44:01,950 But, for me, its most spectacular attraction 837 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:03,708 is its living bridge. (water sloshing) 838 00:44:03,758 --> 00:44:07,580 (upbeat music continues) 839 00:44:07,630 --> 00:44:10,590 Over decades, this bridge has been crafted 840 00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:13,430 by training the roots of banyan trees 841 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,053 over a very hairy river gorge. 842 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:21,010 The way the bridge merges into the forest, 843 00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:22,890 it's like something out of a fairy tale. 844 00:44:22,940 --> 00:44:25,287 (upbeat music fades) 845 00:44:25,337 --> 00:44:29,390 I recognize these. It's Coprinus disseminatus. 846 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:32,210 And I do particularly like time-lapsing these 847 00:44:32,260 --> 00:44:33,700 because they grow very quickly 848 00:44:33,750 --> 00:44:35,548 and are very, very pretty to look at. 849 00:44:35,598 --> 00:44:38,765 (contemplative music) 850 00:45:05,060 --> 00:45:08,227 (raindrops pattering) 851 00:45:09,670 --> 00:45:11,897 Unfortunately, the forests of Mawlynnong 852 00:45:11,947 --> 00:45:14,630 are a bit disappointing for fungi. 853 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,550 There are only a few pockets of old trees left 854 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:19,770 as much of the land around the village 855 00:45:19,820 --> 00:45:22,513 is continuously being cleared for agriculture. 856 00:45:26,566 --> 00:45:28,130 But, as night falls, 857 00:45:28,180 --> 00:45:31,134 we do have one incredibly exciting find. 858 00:45:31,184 --> 00:45:35,184 (contemplative music continues) 859 00:45:44,830 --> 00:45:49,230 A fungus species I time-lapse that never ceases to wow 860 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,350 is Mycena chlorophos. 861 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:54,110 It's a very bright, luminous fungus 862 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:56,244 that I find in my local forests. 863 00:45:56,294 --> 00:46:00,294 (contemplative music continues) 864 00:46:05,749 --> 00:46:10,749 Wherever we go, we always ask if there is a local variety. 865 00:46:10,890 --> 00:46:13,180 Usually, the answer is no. 866 00:46:13,230 --> 00:46:16,340 So do you have any mushrooms here that glow in the dark? 867 00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:17,173 - Yes. 868 00:46:17,223 --> 00:46:18,280 - You do? - Yeah. 869 00:46:18,330 --> 00:46:20,190 - So do you find many of them? 870 00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:21,023 - Yes, of course. 871 00:46:21,073 --> 00:46:22,713 - What do you call these mushrooms. 872 00:46:22,763 --> 00:46:25,160 - This is called bright mushroom 873 00:46:25,210 --> 00:46:27,560 because they give out the light in the nighttime. 874 00:46:27,610 --> 00:46:28,890 - Can we go down and find some? 875 00:46:28,940 --> 00:46:30,580 - Sure. I'll contact you. 876 00:46:30,630 --> 00:46:32,200 - [Stephen] That's brilliant. (water sloshing) 877 00:46:32,250 --> 00:46:34,430 So how big do these mushrooms get? 878 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:35,730 - [Tyndleness] It is very small, 879 00:46:35,780 --> 00:46:38,430 and they have a lot in one bamboo. 880 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:41,450 - [Stephen] So they're very small, they grow on bamboo, 881 00:46:41,500 --> 00:46:43,610 and they're usually down by the stream. 882 00:46:43,660 --> 00:46:46,483 - [Tyndleness] Yeah. (inspiring music) 883 00:46:48,180 --> 00:46:49,730 - [Stephen] Wow, look at these. 884 00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:54,573 They're nothing like the fungus we get at home. 885 00:46:55,530 --> 00:46:59,150 The stems glow, but the caps don't glow, 886 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:01,627 whereas at home, the caps glow 887 00:47:01,677 --> 00:47:04,490 and the stems only glow a little bit. 888 00:47:04,540 --> 00:47:06,332 - Ah, so it's same same but different species. 889 00:47:06,382 --> 00:47:08,510 - (laughing) Yeah. Same same but different, yes. 890 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:12,340 Oh, you really can't see these with the light on them, 891 00:47:12,390 --> 00:47:14,310 but we'll get them up in the dark 892 00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:16,530 and I can photograph them with long exposure, 893 00:47:16,580 --> 00:47:19,087 and then you'll really see them in their full glory. 894 00:47:19,137 --> 00:47:20,350 - [Gautam] Great. 895 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:22,840 - [Stephen] There are currently around 80 species 896 00:47:22,890 --> 00:47:24,858 of luminous fungus recorded on the planet, 897 00:47:24,908 --> 00:47:25,691 (shutter clicks) 898 00:47:25,741 --> 00:47:29,752 but only a handful of them glow as brightly as this one. 899 00:47:29,802 --> 00:47:30,585 (shutter clicks) 900 00:47:30,635 --> 00:47:33,340 This is the first time Mawlynnong's luminous fungus 901 00:47:33,390 --> 00:47:35,690 has ever been documented. (shutter clicks) 902 00:47:35,740 --> 00:47:39,060 And, when its DNA was analyzed, we discovered 903 00:47:39,110 --> 00:47:41,129 it's a new species. (inspiring music) 904 00:47:41,179 --> 00:47:43,929 (shutter clicks) 905 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:56,520 In northeast India, we photographed 232 species of fungus 906 00:47:56,810 --> 00:47:58,233 in just four weeks. 907 00:47:59,860 --> 00:48:02,263 58 of the species are edible. 908 00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:09,933 64 species are used in traditional medicines. 909 00:48:11,380 --> 00:48:13,150 And our mycologists tell us 910 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,270 that 34 of the species we recorded 911 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:20,363 are possibly new to science, which is very exciting. 912 00:48:23,450 --> 00:48:26,580 - I've been through many walks through forests in my life 913 00:48:26,630 --> 00:48:29,660 but I have to say that I've never noticed the fungi. 914 00:48:29,710 --> 00:48:33,000 But, today, I've realized that they're everywhere. 915 00:48:33,050 --> 00:48:35,320 And also, I'm beginning to realize 916 00:48:35,370 --> 00:48:38,040 that fungi really form the basis of life 917 00:48:38,090 --> 00:48:41,120 and that, without fungi, we wouldn't be here. 918 00:48:41,170 --> 00:48:44,710 So I think, apart from all of the other things 919 00:48:44,760 --> 00:48:48,560 that I've said about poisoning and employment and revenues, 920 00:48:48,610 --> 00:48:50,890 I think it's just a very beautiful thing to study, 921 00:48:50,940 --> 00:48:53,740 and we should definitely look into exploring 922 00:48:53,790 --> 00:48:55,990 the fungi biodiversity of this part of the world 923 00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:57,653 and get to know more about it. 924 00:48:57,703 --> 00:49:02,020 (inspiring music continues) 925 00:49:02,070 --> 00:49:04,530 - Fungi is so important to the planet. 926 00:49:04,580 --> 00:49:07,310 There's more species of fungi in the world 927 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:09,860 than there are species of plant. 928 00:49:09,910 --> 00:49:12,673 And yet we think plants dominate forests. 929 00:49:13,620 --> 00:49:16,660 No, it's plants, it's fungi, it's all the other elements 930 00:49:16,710 --> 00:49:18,063 that go to make up life. 931 00:49:19,630 --> 00:49:23,060 And we've been given the opportunity to help explain 932 00:49:23,110 --> 00:49:26,900 how fungus interacts with other lifeforms on this planet, 933 00:49:26,950 --> 00:49:29,270 and it's a wonderful opportunity. 934 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:31,412 And what's more, I get to understand more and more 935 00:49:31,462 --> 00:49:32,953 about fungi in the process. 936 00:49:34,285 --> 00:49:35,819 Oh, what's that? 937 00:49:35,869 --> 00:49:39,536 (inspiring music continues) 938 00:50:56,448 --> 00:50:59,698 (inspiring music ends)