Minnesota-based artist Lydia Hansen has developed a project she calls Fungi Hunts, placing crocheted representations of native Midwest mushrooms along public hiking trails. The work began in 2023 when Hansen set a personal goal of hiking weekly for mental health and imagined creating fiber mushrooms that hikers would encounter with the same surprise as real specimens. A conversation with a trail manager at Lost Creek Hiking Trail near Chatfield led to the first year-long installation there.
The current iteration runs through October 31 at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro. Each piece — including oyster mushroom, turkey tail, pheasantback, giant puffball, golden oyster, chicken of the woods, and shaggy mane inkcap — corresponds to species native to the region. Hansen uses secondhand yarn and attaches the works temporarily to dead wood with staples, screws, or stakes.
A grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council funded interpretive signage developed by Minnesota naturalist Tanner Barnharst. Hansen said she wanted reliable scientific information available on the trails, especially where cell service is spotty and internet sources can be unreliable. The signage identifies each species and provides ecological context.
Hansen describes her practice as experiential fiber art, combining nature and creativity in public space. She designed the installations to encourage hikers to look up from their feet and notice their surroundings. The project highlights common native fungi rather than exotic or unusual species from elsewhere.
On August 16, Hansen and Barnharst will lead a free guided mycology hike at Eagle Bluff. Hansen is preparing a larger installation across three parks in Olmsted County for next summer and is curating a fungi-themed exhibition at Kouba Gallery in Bloomington, Minnesota. She has also received inquiries from other locations for future installations.
The project operates at the intersection of art, environmental education, and community engagement. By placing handmade objects in outdoor settings, Hansen creates moments of discovery that prompt closer attention to local biodiversity. The temporary, low-impact installations avoid permanent alteration of the trails.
Funding from a regional arts council and collaboration with a naturalist demonstrate institutional support for this model of public art. The guided hike and interpretive materials extend the experience beyond visual encounter into structured learning. Hansen's use of secondhand materials aligns with the project's ecological themes.
As the project expands to multiple parks and a gallery exhibition, it illustrates how fiber art can function as a tool for ecological awareness. The artist's background in regular hiking informed the project's origin, linking personal practice to public outcome.
Lydia Hansen Introduces Hikers to Native Midwest Mushrooms on Crocheted ‘Fungi Hunts’
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