One of our most unexpected and magical workshops in September was called Mushroom Growing in Urban Areas and it revolved around the theme of food sovereignty. In this single session, Carlos Briones Pérez, an ethnomycologist dedicated to the cultivation of culturally important mushrooms, began with a brief talk on the history of mushrooms in pre-Hispanic times and the first cave paintings, and then went on to the practical part in which they were able to create the suitable conditions for the cultivation of fungi. The workshop had the objective of disseminating and training the valedores in the cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms from easily accessible organic waste such as cardboard, cigarette butts and newspapers.
An additional benefit of this workshop is that the valedores who are interested find a space where to carry out this practice, as it has a “do what you can with what you have” approach.
It was an unprecedented experience to be able to share with the valedores, authentic and very funny people, a little about the wonderful world of mushrooms and the art of their cultivation.
This activity is part of a social work that, as a biologist, and in collaboration with other colleagues in different facets of my career, we promote in various settings and between specific social sectors (generally the least informed on the subject), to inform, sensitize and make them aware of the environmental, cultural, and biotechnological potential of fungi to solve problems of current global interest.
The idea is to inspire people so they can become more actively involved in caring for the habitats of fungi and valuing their traditional culture; as well as providing them with the tools (biotechnological transfer) so they will be able to undertake an applied science project with fungi, which may have a positive socio-environmental impact on their communities. And this is where I see mushroom cultivation as an opportunity.
“If I were a botanist, I would do it through the promotion of orchards, if an entomologist, surely inspired by beekeeping. It is about giving back from our field of study, to the world ”.
Ahead of our upcoming exhibition in November, we took a tour of the National Museum of Anthropology in continuation with our drawing workshop. The National Museum of Anthropology is one of the most prominent museums in Mexico City and ranks among the most important museums in its category in the world. It was inaugurated in […]
On Thursday, August 3rd, Mi Valedor took part in the 2nd International Real Social Reintegration Symposium at Los Pinos, organized by the Mexico City Social Reintegration Institute. We had the honor of sharing our experiences alongside other organizations working with vulnerable populations. It was an extremely enriching and beneficial space where diverse perspectives were exchanged, […]
We took part in the 16th Great Book and Movie Auction by the Monument to the Revolution. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City to celebrate culture, reading, and diversity. We were absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful event and the chance to […]
The Mexican press reports numerous cases of “social cleansing” of homeless people in recent years. With these words, they refer to practices aimed at removing those who live in public spaces. The methods used range from harassing them to move from one place to another where they won’t “bother,” to forced relocation to state-run shelters, […]
In the company of the anthropologist Fabrizio Pistillo, the advocates created a dictionary in which they established what various terms commonly used in social policy instruments directed at socially excluded people mean to them. These concepts are often discussed in academic circles, but with this exercise, we open up the space to understand what those […]
On Friday, January 13th, it was an important day for the streets of this “city of rights.” An organized group of homeless individuals decided to put a stop to acts of social cleansing. They appeared resolute and confident. Photo by Eréndira Aquino The events unfolded as follows: Before noon on Thursday, January 12th, the mayor […]
