YOUR Museum from Home

Who doesn't love hearing personal stories behind a fun rock, family taxidermy collection, or unknown thing? Most of us have at least one piece of nature sitting at home of which we get excited about sharing with others. Each of those pieces tell a story--of a day spent wandering the forest with a loved one, or a success in finding the final addition to a collection. Some of us display a trophy from a first hunt, or hold onto a piece of taxidermy passed down from a family member who is now gone.

I hear most of these stories as I interact with visitors moving through the Museum hallway. The halls have been quiet as of late, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to share those stories with each other. Let's create our own storybook of sorts, sharing photos and stories on our favorite natural history "specimens" on display at home. 

Amadou from the Tinder Polypore (Fomes fomentarius) was found on Ötzi the Iceman,
a European mummy who had lived about 5,000 years ago. Today, it is also used as an alternative to leather.

To start this off, I'll share this piece of amadou. This isn't a type of leather, or part of a plant. Amadou is actually derived from mushrooms--obtained by scraping off the hard outer layer of certain species of bracket fungi. A few years back I became very interested in bracket fungi, including one species I call Tinder Polypore (Fomes fomentarius). After becoming more familiar with this fungus, I started seeing them everywhere. But more specifically, tinder polypore can be found on dead or dying birch trees.

My father shares my interest in fungi. Being the crafty person he is, Dad started collecting some of these polypores off dying birch trees back home. He began the tedious project of extracting the amadou--a project I'll admit I don't care to spend time on. He gifted this piece to me during one of my visits to my hometown. I know he expected me to use it for catching sparks, but I couldn't bring myself to burn this culmination of his hard work. Even though tinder polypores have been used to start or carry fires for thousands of years, this particular piece will remain on display in my house. 

Share your photos and story of a favorite piece of nature from home. Email Curator/Naturalist Mollie Kreb at mollie@cablemuseum.org. Your story and photo may be shared on our website or social media platforms.