BOW VALLEY – The Bow Valley is renowned for its towering peaks and wildlife, but this season, the valley floor is stealing the spotlight. A rainy summer has left typically dry Southern Alberta teeming with mushrooms.

“It's kind of a special season, and we should take advantage of it,” says Bow Valley Naturalists president Peter Duck, who recommends slowing down to take in this summer’s fungi.

“Like all things nature, sometimes they have to be appreciated from a position of worship — and that is getting down on your knees for a good close-up look.”

As to why, the answer is pretty simple: water. Mycelium, the underground root system that produces mushrooms, requires moisture to produce the fungi. When conditions are right, people can experience mushrooms in abundance — though the forest f

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