Working with mycophobes

[urbpan]

I work with caged animals on a wildlife sanctuary. The exhibit cages (mostly birds of prey) are outside, in the lovely Northeast mixed deciduous forest (recently made into a lovely postage stamp sheet). Being outside as they are, filled with dead wood "furniture" and with floors of dirt, they occasionally grow mushrooms. I like mushrooms, just because they're beautiful, and normal parts of the ecosystem, and I value them in the exhibits as free naturalistic decoration.

I found out yesterday, that my two coworkers routinely remove mushrooms when they find them in the cages. One agreed with me about their value as scenery, and said that she only removed them from non-exhibit cages (like the one's growing in the gravel-floored screech owl cage above). Her reason for removing them is that she is allergic to molds and she figured more spores (of any kind) means more misery for her. This has logic to it (flawed) at least. [the flaw: molds and mushrooms are both fungi, but they are very different organisms. The analogy I keep thinking of is that it's like being allergic to shellfish, and therefore avoiding all meat entirely--for that matter, being allergic to strawberries and not eating any fruit at all. Perhaps vyomamistake the mushrooms for the white mice we feed them and be poisoned. This is so dumbfounding to me, that I was left with no response. Supposing that an animal with good vision somehow mistook a mushroom for a mouse, and attacked it, wouldn't the non-mouselike texture prevent it from proceeding? Supposing it bit into the mushroom, wouldn't the non-mouselike taste prevent it from consuming it? Can the irrational fear of mushrooms be conquered in our time? Can we at least get over it at a WILDLIFE SANCTUARY?

Comments

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

I HATE mushrooms. To eat, that is. They're pretty cool when they're outside, but no fungus for me, thanks. Never liked 'em, never will.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I must be the only member of the Boston Mycological Club who has no interest in eating the damn things. I've taught myself to eat some kinds (the way I've taught myself to eat any vegetables--yes, I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables) but I'll only eat them for novelty value.

I feel kind of bad about this post. It's basically just a tirade I posted when I was in a bad mood. My coworkers have good motivations even if I don't agree with all their decisions.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you have that. Some of my coworkers are just plain useless.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Because they taste worse than ass? It's like eating dirt. Bleh. Yuck. Ick!!

I will deal with wood ear in hot and sour soup and straw mushrooms in strongly flavored chinese food but that is it.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

They DO taste worse than ass. And the texture! Ew... I always pawn mine off on editswlonghair if I find one lurking in my food.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

It's just all wrong. I don't know why people eat that crap.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Fungus eating freaks, all of them!!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

And every pizza except for the ones I order for myself have mushrooms on 'em. I swear to god.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

At least they don't ruin the flavor. I am not a fan of onions, and I once agreed to split a pizza with someone from work, and the onion on her half totally stank up my half! It is the only topping I refuse to go halfsies on.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Ugh! I think the mushroom juice just oozes everywhere. Yuck.