Negativismo fúngico : como mudar esse quadro integrando ensino, pesquisa e divulgação científica por meio da ciência cidadã?

Abstract

This work constitutes an opinion text structured based on the concepts of mycology (study of fungi) and citizen science, and introduces the concept of fungal negativism as a term that mainly contemplates, but not only, the tendency of people to associate fungi with negative aspects. When presenting the concept of fungal negativism, a context is previously provided about the diversity and importance of fungi for ecosystems and human societies, as well as questions involving the importance of studying fungi and other organisms, such as plants and animals, and how the society sees them and relates to these living beings are also addressed, taking into account the concepts of plant blindness, plant imperception, zoochauvinism, mycophilia, and mycophobia. After conceptualizing the term fungal negativism, the text then focuses on integrative actions of teaching, research, and scientific dissemination through citizen science that can reverse this situation. Projects, actions, and initiatives of citizen science, teaching, and scientific dissemination that are important to combat fungal negativism in Brazil are also highlighted in the text. From contact with the concepts and possibilities for changes presented in the text, it is expected that students, teachers, researchers, communicators, and others interested in mycology can identify local problems related to fungal negativism and feel encouraged to develop collaborative actions so that fungi are seen differently by the community involved, starting to recognize them as a unique group of organisms that is present in our daily lives and has great socioeconomic importance and for the maintenance of life and natural ecosystems. From then on, each person involved starts to act as a multiplier, and a network starts to form, like the mycelium of a fungus or its dispersion by spores, establishing connections and inoculating information.