Topic outline

  • We will go on a trip to the Nuuksio National Park to search for matsutake mushrooms and talk about the book Mushroom at the End of the World. Please let Matti know if you think you are not able to go for a hike in a forest, I'm not going to force you to go.

    Here is my schedule as a pdf
    You can go with me from Aalto or join at any point of the trip if it is more convenient for you:
    • We leave at 13:00 from in front of Väre, please be on time
    • 13:05-13:12 bus 550 to Leppävaara
    • 13:24-13:37 U train to Espoo
    • 13:56-14:26 Bus 245A to Nuuksio
    The trip will take longer than our reserved time for the class. My aim is that we would be out of the forest by 6 PM.

    Readings before the class:
    • TSING, ANNA LOWENHAUPT. 2021. MUSHROOM AT THE END OF THE WORLD. [S.l.]: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRES.
      • Enabling Entaglements
      • Prologue: Autumn Aroma (1-9)
      • Part 1: Chapters 1-3 (10-43)
      • Interlude: Smelling (44-52)
      • Part 3: Chapter 12 (167-176)


    Tips for the the forest
    • Check the weather forecast the day before. Wear enough warm clothes or bring some extra clothes in a backpack.
    • The forest where we are going is near lakes and small creeks, it can be quite wet on the path. Rubber boots are great if you have them. Hiking shoes are also good. Sneakers will do if you don't have anything else but you might need to find alternative paths in some places to keep your feet dry.
    • Bring a bottle of water and something to eat.
    • If you want to pick mushrooms, bring something to carry them in. A weaved basket is the best or some other container that breathes.
    • A small mushroom knife is useful, I have one that has a small brush on it also. Just keep it in your bag if you are at school before we go
    • You can also bring a small plastic container for berries. We will probably still find some bilberries and lingonberries.


    Task in the forest

    1. Bring some way of documenting the trip (phone, camera, audio recorder, sketchbook, GPS tracker etc.)
    2. Use some medium or media to record some aspect of our time in the forest.
    3. Publish a small write-up of your recordings and your thoughts in our course blog.
    4. These materials might also become useful for our exhibition at the end of the course.