 While walking through Wyoming's woods or your damp lawn in early spring, you may encounter a mushroom. Many people think, ew, gross. Thinking something is diseased or something is wrong. However, mushrooms are just fungi and perform a job that no one else wants to do. A fungus, or fungi in the plural tense, are members of a large group of organisms that include yeast, mold, and the more familiar mushrooms. Most fungi are very inconspicuous because of their small size and lifestyles. Many live in soil, on dead matter, and in mutual relationships with other organisms. They typically are only visible when they are fruiting, either as mushrooms or molds. Wyoming is home to many fungi species. Fungi can be found statewide. When looking for fungi to observe, the easiest place to see these organisms is in moist areas with lots of dead or decaying plant material. Fungi play a very important role in the ecosystem. They are a major decomposer and are essential to the nutrient cycling process. So the next time you see a mushroom, don't say ew gross, but remember that it is quite possibly breaking down larger material into nutrients that other organisms need. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Brian Sebade, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.