Collaboration with Ida Bomm
Forests worldwide are struggling with bark beetle infestations, a crisis worsened by rising temperatures and drought. What is often seen as pure destruction—entire forests left riddled with tunnels and stripped of their nutrients—can also be viewed as an opportunity for renewal.
Bark beetle larvae carve intricate networks of tunnels into wood, consuming its most nutritious parts and leaving behind a perforated landscape. Instead of seeing these boreholes as mere damage, we repurpose them as entry points for regeneration. In a human-designed inoculation process, holes must be drilled to introduce fungal spores—but here, the beetles have already done the work for us. By inoculating these natural openings with native fungi like oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), we accelerate decomposition, returning nutrients to the forest while also producing a valuable food source for both humans and wildlife. This process transforms dead wood into a site of ecological productivity, fast-tracking forest renewal.
This project is a hands-on, community-driven effort, bringing together foresters, biodesigners, and local residents to experiment with fungal cultivation. Together, we reframe ecological crises—not as disasters, but as invitations for care, renewal, and unexpected collaboration with nature.
By working with natural processes rather than against them, we foster resilience and unlock new possibilities for sustainable ecosystems.
Phase I: mycelium inoculation
in the holes created by the bark beetle larvae
Phase II: upcoming
*This project is still in its early research phase, and while we have much more to explore, we believe this approach holds exciting potential for ecological restoration and sustainable resource cultivation.