Fairy Rings

I received my first issue of The Morton Arboretum's Seasons digital magazine. I recently became a member and the magazine is one of the perks. I'm enjoying reading it. I'm learning a ton about tree migration, bats, phenology... and all this other fascinating stuff.

There's an interesting bit about fairy rings - those mushroom circles you might have seen on the ground in a forest or woodsy area - which have been called enchanted or ominous places where fairies and other creatures gather... 

Why fairy rings develop, scientifically, is a result of something buried underground, usually a huge hunk of wood, like a tree stump. The bark is eaten up by fungal fibers, and then those fibers become mushrooms as they rise from the ground, which creates the fairy ring mushroom circle. The soil benefits from the mushroom growth.

For me, science just adds to the mystery of it. Even with this awesome explanation, I can't help but still feel an aura of magic when I see one. 

- F