Giuliana Furci
Giuliana Furci is a field mycologist, fungal activist, author and foundress and director of the Fungi Foundation. She is a Harvard University Associate, a National Geographic Explorer, co-chair of the IUCN SSC Fungal Conservation Committee, Fellow of the International Mycological Association, Dame of the Order of the Star of Italy, and author of various works including a series of field guides to Chilean fungi.
She has co-authored publications that have redefined our relationship with fungi, including the publication that delimits the term “funga,” and the 3F Proposal – Fauna, Flora & Funga, and has spearheaded efforts such as the Fungal Conservation Pledge presented at the UNCBD COP16 by the governments of Chile and the UK. Giuliana has also been part of publications on topics relating to fungi ranging from trade to psychedelic mushrooms in journals including Science, Mycologia, Conservation Biology and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Among others, she has written for The Guardian and Time Magazine and her work has been featured in outlets including The New York Times, BBC, The Atlantic, Vogue, and NPR. Giuliana has received several international recognitions for her contributions to the field of mycology and fungal conservation from the International Society for Fungal Conservation, National Geographic Society, the Mycological Society of America and more.
Photo credit: Tomás Munita