BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 28, 2024
I’ve been wandering the Maine woods since I was a little girl. I’ve become familiar with its flora and fauna. Yet the wilderness keeps surprising me with things I’ve never seen before — like neon pink slime mold. Slime molds aren’t fungi or lichens. They’re single-celled organisms that move around, similar to an amoeba. At that stage, they’re too small for people to see. But sometimes, they congregate to form threads and fruiting bodies that resemble mushrooms. Hundreds of slime mold species have been documented throughout the world. Slime molds play an important role in the ecosystem. Often found on decaying forest litter and rotting wood, they serve as decomposers and recycle nutrients. They feed on bacteria, which decomposes plant matter. They also serve as food for worms, beetles and other creepy crawlies.