Listen: Jay Lichter

28 April 2026 First published RNZ

Funny, fascinating and a little bit filthy. Fungi could well be the unsung heroes of the planet - the recyclers, the networkers, the quiet alchemists who make life possible.

Landscaper Jay Lichter - turned obsessive fungi photographer - has spent countless hours shuffling in the moss, mud and the undergrowth to capture the specimens. 

His work has culminated in a book The Secret Life of Fungi.

He says once you've glimpsed their secret world, you'll never look at fungi the same way again.  

Jay spoke with Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon.