The Hidden Web: How Fungi Connect Forests, Wildlife, and Us

Whenever I return to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the whole world seems to breathe differently. Gorillas huddle under dripping leaves, the forest floor softens, and suddenly I notice mushrooms everywhere. Bright orange clusters, delicate white umbrellas, deep violet domes.

I’ve spent years in this forest studying gorillas, but some of my favorite moments are crouched low with a camera, trying to capture the strange beauty of these fungi. They remind me to slow down, to notice what usually goes unseen.

Most of us think of fungi as only mushrooms. But those are just the tips of an iceberg. Beneath the soil lies a hidden network of mycelium: fine, thread-like strands that recycle the dead, nourish the living, and even connect trees into a kind of underground community. Scientists call it the “Wood Wide Web.” These underground networks, also called mycorrhizae, help plants absorb water and nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, while in return, the fungi receive sugars produced through photosynthesis. More than 90% of plants rely on these hidden collaborators, from the towering trees in Bwindo to backyard vegetables. Without mycorrhizae, ecosystems would collapse, agriculture would struggle, and forests would lose their resilience. They remind us that thriving often depends not on competition, but on cooperation.

By Marvin Moriarty/USFWS , Public Domain

But just as in life, where not everyone is a friend, fungi are not always benevolent. The chytrid fungus has devastated amphibian species across the globe, while white-nose syndrome continues to reshape bat populations. Even our crops face constant pressure from fungal diseases. And as climates warm, drug-resistant pathogens like Candida auris are rising, revealing just how vulnerable we humans can also be.

In the forest, fungi are my teachers. They remind me that death feeds life, that networks matter, and that survival often depends on the smallest of connections. Reconnecting with these lessons feels especially urgent in a time when human systems strain against ecological limits.

That’s why I created my Reconnect with Nature Audible course and companion workbook Rooted in Nature. They’re designed to help people slow down, notice the hidden threads around them, and discover their own place in the web of life.

If you’re curious to go deeper into the fascinating (and sometimes frightening) world of fungi, I recently spoke with toxicologist Emily Monosson about her new book Blight on my podcast Wild Connection. It’s a brilliant exploration of how fungi shape ecosystems, our health, and our future.