Welcome to an educational journey into the fascinating world of soil and forest mushrooms! In this school project, we explore what lives beneath our feet and the special role that mushrooms play in forest ecosystems. The project is part of the Eco2Adapt forest and climate education activities for schools, bringing together research and education.
The topics are studied together with two Finnish schools from Eco2adapt Living Lab area: 6th-grade students from Otto Kotilainen School in Heinävesi and Kylmäoja School in Kontiolahti, as well as other Eco2Adapt Living Lab schools. The activities are carried out in collaboration with project experts, ENO Schoolnet staff and teachers.
The aim of the activities is to understand the importance of biodiversity, living organisms and healthy soil, as well as the vital role of mushrooms in ecosystems.
Follow this blog to read about the school activities carried out by the partner schools as part of this project.
PROJECT BLOG:
9 Sep 2026 A task in the mushroom forest
The Wednesday morning of the sixth-graders at Otto Kotilainen School in Heinävesi began with a dive into the fascinating world of mushrooms. In the nearby forest, refreshed by the rain, they kicked off their mushroom-themed learning project. Their first task was to learn to identify different mushroom species and distinguish the safe edible mushrooms from the others.
The students were guided in mushroom identification by Maarit Sallinen from the North Karelian The Martat Association. Despite the light rain, it was a joy to see the students’ enthusiasm for collecting mushrooms — and especially the excitement of discovering them.
The learning project will continue with further exploration of the mushroom world, including examining and making spore prints and observing spores and mycelium under a microscope. The aim is to deepen the students’ understanding of mushrooms, their role in ecosystems, and their potential uses, for example as a source of local food.
