Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
@spun.earth
SPUN is a scientific research organization dedicated to mapping and protecting Earth's underground fungal networks.
www.spun.earth
www.spun.earth
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
November 7, 2025 at 11:04 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
Join us in welcoming Ida Auken and Sir Andrew Steer to SPUN’s Board of Directors. As #COP30 Brazil approaches, we are pleased to bring new expertise to our leadership team to help guide our climate and biodiversity strategies.
November 6, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Join us in welcoming Ida Auken and Sir Andrew Steer to SPUN’s Board of Directors. As #COP30 Brazil approaches, we are pleased to bring new expertise to our leadership team to help guide our climate and biodiversity strategies.
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
Learn about fungal superhighways and the microscopic interactions around the rhizosphere that support all life above ground.
@thesoilpodcast.bsky.social
@spun.earth
open.spotify.com/episode/7fv7...
@thesoilpodcast.bsky.social
@spun.earth
open.spotify.com/episode/7fv7...
Part 3: Fungi, fertiliser & the gut microbiome
open.spotify.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Learn about fungal superhighways and the microscopic interactions around the rhizosphere that support all life above ground.
@thesoilpodcast.bsky.social
@spun.earth
open.spotify.com/episode/7fv7...
@thesoilpodcast.bsky.social
@spun.earth
open.spotify.com/episode/7fv7...
🇵🇪 We sampled for fungi through WATER, SOIL, and ROCK to better understand how deep soil fungi help regulate the carbon cycle with @tobykiers.bsky.social, Merlin Sheldrake, Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci and collaborator Walter Huaraca 🇵🇪
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
November 5, 2025 at 3:23 PM
🇵🇪 We sampled for fungi through WATER, SOIL, and ROCK to better understand how deep soil fungi help regulate the carbon cycle with @tobykiers.bsky.social, Merlin Sheldrake, Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci and collaborator Walter Huaraca 🇵🇪
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 31, 2025 at 3:13 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
⏰ Call for Abstracts: Closing knowledge gaps in fungal biodiversity and its conservation.
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
October 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
⏰ Call for Abstracts: Closing knowledge gaps in fungal biodiversity and its conservation.
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
With Merlin Sheldrake, @tobykiers.bsky.social, @hhwalter.bsky.social, & Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci, we’re mapping deep soil fungi in the high-altitude grasslands of Peru. Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake, elders from the Q'ero and Ccorca communities and Miski Tours.
📸 Tomás Munita
📸 Tomás Munita
October 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
With Merlin Sheldrake, @tobykiers.bsky.social, @hhwalter.bsky.social, & Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci, we’re mapping deep soil fungi in the high-altitude grasslands of Peru. Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake, elders from the Q'ero and Ccorca communities and Miski Tours.
📸 Tomás Munita
📸 Tomás Munita
SPUN Underground Explorers gather in Kathmandu for 7th conference on Mountains in the Changing World #MoChWo2025.
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
October 28, 2025 at 10:07 AM
SPUN Underground Explorers gather in Kathmandu for 7th conference on Mountains in the Changing World #MoChWo2025.
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Are the fungi in Colombia’s moorlands >3,000m different from those along lowland coasts? Underground Explorer Luis Salcedo and Thomas Reitz collected samples across ecoregions to uncover who lives belowground.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
October 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Are the fungi in Colombia’s moorlands >3,000m different from those along lowland coasts? Underground Explorer Luis Salcedo and Thomas Reitz collected samples across ecoregions to uncover who lives belowground.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
6️⃣ Functioning like underground pumps, mycorrhizal fungi transport water from deep in the soil to plant roots. This adaptation is key for survival in arid conditions and helps plants withstand drought and water stress.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 20, 2025 at 11:56 AM
6️⃣ Functioning like underground pumps, mycorrhizal fungi transport water from deep in the soil to plant roots. This adaptation is key for survival in arid conditions and helps plants withstand drought and water stress.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
A découvrir : L’atlas souterrain des champignons mis au point par le SPUN et accessible gratuitement en ligne tinyurl.com/2bar5kew @spun.earth #ScienceCQFD
Underground Atlas: Mycorrhizal Biodiversity Map v1.0
Explore the distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi to identify biodiversity hotspots and areas with rare, endemic fungi.
tinyurl.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:19 PM
A découvrir : L’atlas souterrain des champignons mis au point par le SPUN et accessible gratuitement en ligne tinyurl.com/2bar5kew @spun.earth #ScienceCQFD
Recently, we mapped endemic fungal networks in Zagori 🇬🇷 with @seanmaston.bsky.social, @vkokkoris.bsky.social and team.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
October 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Recently, we mapped endemic fungal networks in Zagori 🇬🇷 with @seanmaston.bsky.social, @vkokkoris.bsky.social and team.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
Big congratulations to @spun.earth’s Toby Kiers on being awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant! You may remember Toby from our 2024 selection FLORA FAUNA FUNGA.
You can read the announcement here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/arts/design/macarthur-foundation-2025-genius-grant-winners.html
You can read the announcement here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/arts/design/macarthur-foundation-2025-genius-grant-winners.html
October 8, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Big congratulations to @spun.earth’s Toby Kiers on being awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant! You may remember Toby from our 2024 selection FLORA FAUNA FUNGA.
You can read the announcement here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/arts/design/macarthur-foundation-2025-genius-grant-winners.html
You can read the announcement here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/arts/design/macarthur-foundation-2025-genius-grant-winners.html
Congrats to Executive Director @tobykiers.bsky.social on being named a 2025 #MacFellow by the MacArthur Foundation (buff.ly/HOU1qb7). Also called the “Genius Grant,” it’s one of the largest awards in the US, honoring exceptionally talented and creative individuals.
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
October 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Congrats to Executive Director @tobykiers.bsky.social on being named a 2025 #MacFellow by the MacArthur Foundation (buff.ly/HOU1qb7). Also called the “Genius Grant,” it’s one of the largest awards in the US, honoring exceptionally talented and creative individuals.
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
🚨SPUN’S Biodiversity Conservation Strategist, @catiacanteiro.bsky.social will be at the #IUCNcongress presenting our latest mycorrhizal maps to conservation leaders.
Schedule a meeting with Cátia: buff.ly/dy2amO3
Visit SPUN’s event page: buff.ly/aQ7L97Y
Schedule a meeting with Cátia: buff.ly/dy2amO3
Visit SPUN’s event page: buff.ly/aQ7L97Y
SPUN at IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025
www.spun.earth
October 7, 2025 at 10:01 AM
🚨SPUN’S Biodiversity Conservation Strategist, @catiacanteiro.bsky.social will be at the #IUCNcongress presenting our latest mycorrhizal maps to conservation leaders.
Schedule a meeting with Cátia: buff.ly/dy2amO3
Visit SPUN’s event page: buff.ly/aQ7L97Y
Schedule a meeting with Cátia: buff.ly/dy2amO3
Visit SPUN’s event page: buff.ly/aQ7L97Y
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 6, 2025 at 2:02 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
We have an article about integrating fungi in policy lead by
@catiacanteiro.bsky.social !! @spun.earth
@catiacanteiro.bsky.social !! @spun.earth
October 3, 2025 at 2:06 PM
We have an article about integrating fungi in policy lead by
@catiacanteiro.bsky.social !! @spun.earth
@catiacanteiro.bsky.social !! @spun.earth
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
This is a beautiful volume in the Current Biology magazine about Fungi with gorgeous illustrations! highly recommended 🧡 🍄🍄 🤩 www.currentconservation.org/issues/19-3/
19.3 | Current Conservation
Before their ecological relevance and unique properties were revealed to me, my earliest memory of fungi was as a whimsical toadstool in the background of a fairytale book. Growing up, I also saw them...
www.currentconservation.org
October 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
This is a beautiful volume in the Current Biology magazine about Fungi with gorgeous illustrations! highly recommended 🧡 🍄🍄 🤩 www.currentconservation.org/issues/19-3/
How did North American and European fungi end up in Argentine forests?
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
October 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
How did North American and European fungi end up in Argentine forests?
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 29, 2025 at 11:42 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
Led by SPUN's @adricorrales.bsky.social, we visited Huila, Colombia with -196°C liquid nitrogen to collect fungal RNA.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
September 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Led by SPUN's @adricorrales.bsky.social, we visited Huila, Colombia with -196°C liquid nitrogen to collect fungal RNA.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
Fungal networks in the soil are arguably the basis of much of life on Earth, but they’re understudied and under-appreciated in the conservation world.
Scientists at @spun.earth are trying to fix that. Listen in to @scifri.bsky.social episode to learn more 🎙️
Scientists at @spun.earth are trying to fix that. Listen in to @scifri.bsky.social episode to learn more 🎙️
‘Underground Atlas’ Shows How Vulnerable Fungal Networks Are
Underground fungal networks are crucial to life on Earth. But a new map shows that less than 10% of fungal hotspots are in protected areas.
buff.ly
September 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Fungal networks in the soil are arguably the basis of much of life on Earth, but they’re understudied and under-appreciated in the conservation world.
Scientists at @spun.earth are trying to fix that. Listen in to @scifri.bsky.social episode to learn more 🎙️
Scientists at @spun.earth are trying to fix that. Listen in to @scifri.bsky.social episode to learn more 🎙️
Reposted by Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
👏🏾 A big shout out to @spun.earth and the Global Initiative of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment for sponsoring 9 students to attend our conference!
Students who applied for our travel grants, check your email inbox.
@thegsbi.bsky.social @lindolab.bsky.social @carlosbarreto.bsky.social
Students who applied for our travel grants, check your email inbox.
@thegsbi.bsky.social @lindolab.bsky.social @carlosbarreto.bsky.social
September 24, 2025 at 1:10 PM
👏🏾 A big shout out to @spun.earth and the Global Initiative of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment for sponsoring 9 students to attend our conference!
Students who applied for our travel grants, check your email inbox.
@thegsbi.bsky.social @lindolab.bsky.social @carlosbarreto.bsky.social
Students who applied for our travel grants, check your email inbox.
@thegsbi.bsky.social @lindolab.bsky.social @carlosbarreto.bsky.social
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 15, 2025 at 10:08 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.