The Third Kingdom 

We all know the plants and animals are extraordinary in Humboldt, but the kingdom of fungi is probably the most prolific. Edible, medicinal, psychoactive or deadly, there are many varieties of each. Some, though, are just unbelievably strange looking.

Until the middle of the 20th century, fungi were placed in the plant kingdom. The separation into its own kingdom was based on characteristics like how the living things obtained their nutrition. Animals eat or engulf and plants photosynthesize, while fungi excrete digestive enzymes and then absorb the externally digested nutrients.

Rowdy Kelley (he/him) is a TV and film location scout/manager, producer and director with family roots in Humboldt going back to 1900. He's an avid outdoors person into mountain biking and SUPing. See more of his photos on the Humboldt Geographic Facebook page.