WESTMINSTER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont already has a state bird, a state vegetable, and a state tree. But, thanks in part to middle school students at the Compass School in Westminster, it could soon have a state mushroom.
Middle school students at the Compass School know a lot about mushrooms.
“They have multiple purposes, they come in multiple shapes and sizes. Some can be pretty small, some can be huge like hen-of-the-woods for example,” said 7th grader Wolfy Holder.
But one in particular caught their eye, the Hericium Americanum, known as the bear’s head tooth. It’s a common wild mushroom in the Northeast known for its distinctive appearance, taste, hardiness, and love of hardwoods.
“It can many be found in foliage season and when a lot of visitors come and visit Vermont,” said 7th grader Nicholas Duprey.
Because of those factors, the students selected the bear’s head tooth as their choice for the Vermont state mushroom. They are now working their way through the process of how a bill becomes a law to make their selection official.
“I like to think that I am going to make a mark on the world and thinking about this, it seems like I am going to make a mark on Vermont,” said 8th grader Mustapha Tucker.
Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, D-Windham 3, the bill’s co-sponsor, on Monday told high schoolers in the 7 to 12th-grade school about the progress being made by their peers. She says she recruited students when she learned the state doesn’t currently have a designated mushroom. “And maybe someday in the future they can advocate and make policy about something else that’s important. I want them to know that our system can work,” she said.
The students will likely travel to Montpelier to testify in support of the bill. “Just really excited about it and you know, and a lot of things are happening so fast,” Holder said.
Supporters of the bill hope to have it passed out of the House by the March 15th cross-over date. If it is successful and signed into law, Vermont would join five other states with a designated state mushroom.