tethered fairy rings

Notes for For Klehm arboretum's outdoor exhibit proposal:

"Tethered fairy rings, in contrast, develop in woodlands and are formed by mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi form important symbiotic associations with many vascular plants, particularly forest trees. In his book Mushrooms of Northeast North America (Lone Pine, 1999), mycologist George Barron notes that trees depend on this type of fungi for survival.
“Each tree has hundreds of thousands of kilometers of fungal threads associated with its roots,” Baron writes. “It is these mycorrhizal fungi that supply the tree with the nutrients and water essential for healthy growth. In exchange, the tree gives the fungus sugars that are manufactured through photosynthesis in its leaves.”
The fungi use the sugar obtained from the partner tree as an energy source for growth and for maintenance of the mycelial network, as well as in the production of the fruiting bodies, or mushrooms. The more common trees in northern forests that form this type of partnership include birch, oak, beech, pine, fir, and spruce.
Tethered fairy rings grow around one or several central trees. The mycelium remains associated (tethered) with its partner tree’s roots, limiting how far from the tree the ring can expand. While free fairy rings are easier to spot in open areas, the tethered fairy rings of forests and woodlands are more numerous. Some common fungi that can produce tethered fairy rings include fly agaric, death cap, clouded agaric, and matsutake."

from https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2021/10/fairy-rings/

I am working up a ground installation of larger than life size 3D mosaic mushrooms. I am going to list the installation as 18" high. Each mushroom will have a doily-like round net collar at the base that spans out and overlaps with the net from adjoining mushrooms. The center of the fairy ring will be free of net so that kids can walk into the ring if they want to. The arboretum will  display a plaque that educates visitors about the symbiotic relationship between the mycorrhizal fungi and the tree/s near the installation site. I've requested a site near a tree so I can play off the tethered relationship.

I sort of wanted to do puffballs since they are the state mushroom of Illinois, but they don't have the classic mushroom shape that children will recognize immediately. 

I am going to avoid doing an exact species and go generic fairy patterned white, since I am trying to avoid some negative mushroom connotations. I don't want to do amanita muscaria or nightcaps. I also don't want  to create a wild colored and patterned  hippie psychedelic piece. I think I am going to do butterfly wing patterns in pale colors, white and reflective beads to give a fairy light effect at  night. The hyphae net collars will also have reflective white or silver beads. I may fray the fiber of the net to give the hyphae a fuzzy texture in places.

The mushrooms will be mounted on plywood bases. The net collars will be sandwiched between the mushroom and the wood. The bases will be painted brown. I am asking the arboretum to provide wood chips to lightly cover the bases and create an  8 foot circle. If they want to chip a little path to the circle that would be cute too.

The piece will remain on display outside for one year. Mosaics are no brainers for outdoor sculpture. I am thinking of crocheting the net collars out of nylon or polyester cord. Whatever I can stitch reflective bead into and fray a little for texture. I'd use cotton thread but preserving the white color  is important.

Thematically, I like the idea of using the folklore/fantasy hook of a fairy circle to engage peoples imagination and then the arboretum can take that attention and inform visitors about the wonderful symbiotic  relationship between the tree roots and the hyphae of the fungus.