In a time when so much learning happens through screens, one Canadian company is reminding students that some of life’s best lessons are still found outdoors.
NuCelium, a Canadian mycology company based in British Columbia, recently partnered with South Canoe Elementary School’s outdoor education program to give students an unforgettable introduction to the fascinating world of fungi, both inside the classroom and out in nature.
Rather than simply giving a presentation, NuCelium’s mycologists Andrew Poulton and Daniel Jenkins spent the day sharing their passion alongside the students. They brought pieces of their laboratory into the classroom, including Petri dishes, living mycelium cultures, and mushroom specimens, before heading into the forest to explore one of British Columbia’s richest fungal habitats.
For many of the students, it was their first opportunity to see just how much life exists beneath the forest floor.
They learned how underground fungal networks quietly support entire ecosystems before setting off on a guided foraging adventure with teacher Geoff Styles through a nearby microclimate known for its incredible biodiversity.
The forest quickly turned into a living classroom.
Students discovered roughly 30 different species of fungi growing on fallen logs, tree roots, beneath leaves, and throughout the forest floor. Bright jelly fungi, puffballs, morels, coral fungi, stinkhorns, and mushrooms resembling the iconic orange Cordyceps militaris became opportunities to ask questions, make observations, and experience science in a way that simply can’t be replicated from a textbook.
Perhaps the most meaningful part of the day wasn’t what the students found, but the curiosity it sparked.
According to NuCelium, the excitement and thoughtful questions from the class have already inspired conversations about the next step: creating affordable mushroom-growing enclosures that students can build and maintain inside their own classrooms. The goal is to give young learners the opportunity to watch fungi develop firsthand while continuing to explore the role mushrooms play in healthy ecosystems and sustainable technologies.
It’s the kind of community partnership that benefits everyone involved.
Students gain memorable, hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and environmental stewardship. Local educators receive support bringing science to life. Companies like NuCelium have an opportunity to share their expertise while investing directly in the communities they call home.
Across Canada, there are countless businesses quietly contributing to their communities in meaningful ways that rarely make headlines. Sometimes it’s through donations. Sometimes it’s through volunteering. And sometimes it’s simply by taking the time to inspire the next generation.
For NuCelium, whose day-to-day work involves researching and cultivating functional mushrooms for the health and wellness industry, inspiring curiosity may not appear in the job description. But by opening the door to the world of fungi for local students, the company is investing in something just as important: the next generation of scientists, environmental stewards, and lifelong learners.
For the students at South Canoe Elementary, a walk through the woods became something much bigger than a science lesson. It became a reminder that discovery doesn’t always happen in a laboratory. Sometimes all it takes is stepping outside, asking questions, and seeing the world a little differently.
