Priya Sharma

Mushrooms are the internet of the forest. I just like explaining how the network works. I'm an environmental scientist based in Vancouver with an MSc in Ecology from UBC. I spent several years working with BC Parks on invasive species monitoring before shifting my focus to fungal biodiversity, specifically the role mushrooms play in forest ecosystems and how seasonal patterns shape what fruits where.

I grew up in Surrey, BC. My parents are from Punjab, and mushroom foraging wasn't part of my culture growing up. But the temperate rainforests of British Columbia converted me. Once you start noticing mycorrhizal networks and the way fungi connect entire stands of trees underground, it's hard to look at a forest the same way. I've done fungal biodiversity surveys in Pacific Spirit Park and I'm a member of the Vancouver Mycological Society.