By Ariana C. Bye
7^th grade, El Dorado county
Illustrated by Winters High School

It was a dark and stormy night. Watson and I quickly walked through the wooded path to my home, only hesitating at the gate to admire my perfect lawn with the flashlight I carried.

The next morning when I awoke, I stepped out my front door and to my horror, I viewed that my beautiful lawn was now covered with… with… Mushrooms!!!

What had happened?! The only difference between yesterday and today is that it rained last night. "I must uncover the mystery of this mischievous mold," I said to Watson.

Our first stop: the library. I gathered all the books about the formidable fungi in questions by myself because, well… Watson's my horse and can't come inside. I read that mushrooms magically spew forth their 16 billion seeds or "spore" in the hours that follow a summer rain. They are spread by wind, insects, and traveler's feet. "Hmmm… I did mow the lawn several weeks ago, just maybe… " I thought, "I could be the culprit who created this cordyceps catastrophe!"

I read on, finding that mushrooms have been used by the Egyptians and Chinese for food and medicines for more than 4,600 years, and that there are more than 75,000 varieties. Many look just like the edible kinds, but are deadly poisonous and that one should never pick up a mushroom and eat it.

"I believe I'll only pick mine up at the grocery store," I thought.

I decided to look to the internet for more information, and what a wealth of information there was. I never realized how important this sneaky spore was to California agriculture. I discovered that California is the country's largest national marketer of mushrooms and the second largest producer of them. California grows a mountainous 17%, or 137,530,000 pounds. Californians devour approximately four pounds per person per year. This is because of all the major pizza chains popping up all over California, generating enormous sales of mushrooms totaling over $131,580,000 dollars. "A fortune in fungus for California." I say… that's elementary, my dear Watson!

Not only are they good for our economy, but they're good for us.

My research shows that they're a highly nutritious food source, containing 20% protein and a wide range of essential amino acids. They're sodium, cholesterol, and fat-free, high in fiber and provide vitamins, such as: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenate, copper, and ascorbic acid.

Some mushrooms are being studied and used in the treatment of cancers and tumors, as well as being used for their health stimulating properties and immune enhancing abilities. In fact, a fungus is used in making penicillin, which is an anti-infection fighting drug.

"Ree..markable! With all this knowledge, I believe it's now our duty, Watson, to share it with our colleagues… er… I mean our classmates. Come on, let's ride to the park and tell them! Hi yo Watson away!"

"Tune in next week when a cryptogamic carrot falls in Watson's corral in… Revenge of the Radioactive Rootcrop!"