Perceptions of edible mushrooms among rural youth in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina): Who transmits knowledge?

Aim of the Study: To analyze the role of experience and formal education in shaping the knowledge of Mapuche-Tehuelche and Criollo adolescents regarding edible fungi from the subantarctic forest. Study Area: Northwest of Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. Materials and Methods: Free listings, collages, field walks, and workshops were carried out with 57 rural adolescents, differentiated by their sociocultural backgrounds (Mapuche-Tehuelche and Criollo) and the mycological content provided by their schools. Artistic productions and estimates of species richness and frequency of known fungi, were analyzed using a combination of quali-quantitative methods. Main Results: Adolescents differed primarily in their theoretical knowledge, with Criollo adolescents who received mycology lessons at school citing a higher species richness (10 species) compared to Mapuche-Tehuelche adolescents who did not receive such instruction (3 species). Criollo participants included NUS (Neglected and Underutilized Species) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm as part of the knowledge acquired through formal education. Experiential knowledge, on the other hand, was similar across both groups and aligned with that held by adults in the communities. This experiential knowledge includes three species of commercial importance (Morchella septimelata M. Kuo., Morchella tridentina Bres., Suillus luteus (L.) Roussel.) and Cyttaria hariotii E. Fisch. Only C. hariotii is widely consumed among the adolescents. Research Highlights: School programs that teach mycology and encourage the sharing of traditional knowledge among students may contribute to the revaluation of local mycological knowledge, as well as reflection on the role of fungi in biocultural conservation and food sovereignty. We highlight the use of innovative inquiry methodologies as engaging tools to capture adolescents’ interest.