Fungi and lichens are all around us—in forests, on trees, growing on old fences, paving stones, and moss-covered surfaces. Yet in schools, they are often mentioned only briefly. The Latvian Mycological Society helps children and young people discover this often-overlooked part of nature through hands-on experiences involving real specimens, games, experiments, and even paints made from fungi.
At the same time, students learn why fungi are so important in everyday life. They are used in medicine, food production, sustainable materials development, environmental solutions, and increasingly in emerging technologies, making the world of fungi and lichens a fascinating entry point into STEM education.
Bringing STEM beyond the classroom
This school year, students across Latvia have new opportunities to broaden their learning experience and explore STEM subjects beyond the traditional classroom environment.
Through the project “STEM and Civic Participation Activities for a Broader Educational Experience and Career Choice,” implemented by the State Education Development Agency (VIAA), science centres, businesses, and non-governmental organisations offer a wide range of educational activities. Schools and pre-schools can choose from more than 480 different experiences throughout Latvia and invite activity leaders directly to their institutions.
The Latvian Mycological Society offers four thematic programmes tailored to different age groups, allowing children to explore fungi and lichens in ways appropriate to their stage of development.
One of the key principles behind these activities is experiential learning.
“We try to make our activities practical rather than relying only on presentations and demonstrations. Learning happens through movement games, play, and sensory experiences—including touch and smell,” explains Renāte Kaupuža, one of the workshop leaders.
According to her, this approach is the key to capturing children’s interest and encouraging genuine engagement.
Learning through seeing, touching, and exploring
A major part of the workshops involves visual and tactile materials, including real fungi and lichens collected in nature before the sessions.
These specimens allow children not only to listen but also to observe, compare, touch, and investigate natural objects firsthand.
Renāte notes that although working with living specimens depends partly on seasonal conditions, fungi are not limited to autumn alone.
“Fungi grow throughout the year, and even outside the traditional mushroom season there is still plenty to discover and study,” she explains.
As a result, children actively participate rather than simply observe. They investigate, compare, smell, touch, and experiment.
One workshop, “From Bracket Fungus to Paper,” introduces students to the paper-making process—from preparing fibres to producing a finished sheet of paper.
Creative activities are particularly popular. Children have the opportunity to draw using paints made from fungi, and many are surprised to learn that fungi can also be used to dye wool and other materials. Some species even possess fluorescent properties and glow under ultraviolet (UV) light.
Discovering that fungi are everywhere
One of the workshop leaders’ favourite ways to spark curiosity is through a simple question:
“Do you like mushrooms?”
Someone usually replies that they do not.
The next question follows immediately:
“But do you like buns?”
Almost everyone answers yes.
That is when children discover that yeast—the ingredient used in bread and pastry making—is also a fungus.
The workshop includes a simple experiment demonstrating how yeast works and why it is essential for dough fermentation.
Moments like these help children realise that fungi are not distant or unusual organisms—they are an important part of everyday life.
Developing skills beyond scientific knowledge
The benefits of these activities extend far beyond learning specific facts about fungi and lichens.
Students develop scientific thinking, fine motor skills, observation abilities, comparison skills, and the capacity to draw conclusions. They also build a respectful and responsible attitude toward nature.
According to Andra Simanova, a board member of the Latvian Mycological Society, helping children notice and appreciate biodiversity is particularly important during childhood because early experiences with nature often shape attitudes for life.
“The environment we experience as children becomes a reference point for how we understand biodiversity later in life,” she explains.
“There are so many living organisms around us that we simply fail to notice. They are there, but they remain in the background. This modern phenomenon is known as ‘plant blindness,’ and it applies to fungi as well.”
She emphasises that understanding nature begins with recognising that every organism plays a role within an ecosystem and that disrupting this balance can have unpredictable consequences.
Curiosity as the foundation of future scientists
Andra believes these activities are especially valuable because they nurture children’s natural curiosity.
“Curiosity is something children already possess naturally. The role of adults is not to extinguish it but to support it. If we encourage exploration and experimentation during childhood, we are fostering qualities that are essential for future scientists. When that spark of curiosity is nurtured from an early age, there is a much greater chance that young people will later choose careers in science or related fields.”
Both Andra Simanova and Renāte Kaupuža describe a sense of mission as their primary motivation for working with children and young people.
“Our main goal is to inspire interest in nature, and the best way to do that is through practical experience,” says Renāte.
“After all, we cannot protect or love something we do not know. If a child has never seen, touched, or learned about a fungus or lichen, it becomes much harder to understand why biodiversity matters, what role these organisms play in ecosystems, and what happens when ecological balance is disrupted.”
About the project
The project “STEM and Civic Participation Activities for a Broader Educational Experience and Career Choice” is supported by European Union Funds and implemented by the State Education Development Agency (VIAA).
Its objective is to diversify learning experiences, strengthen connections between classroom knowledge and real life, and improve students’ understanding of labour market requirements.
These activities help young people gain new knowledge while also developing an understanding of how decisions are made and how every individual can actively participate in society.
This story was created with the support of the European Union Funds.
