From Saturday 9th September, the creative-cohort behind Wake the Tiger will launch a week-long Mushroom Hunt that will see residents follow daily clues to find hand-crafted golden mushrooms in various iconic city locations. Those who find them first each day will win tickets to the experience, alongside prizes from Bristol Fungarium.
With a daily (micro)dose of hints being leaked into the world through Wake the Tiger’s social media channels, the mysterious tour will see Bristol venture across the city from Turbo Island to the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the look-out for the golden mushrooms.
The hunt will spring up for a week, culminating in the launch of four types of fungi appearing within Meridia for the first time from Saturday 16th September – with each aligning with one of the four Guilds: Earth, Water, Air and Fire.
Within the realm of Meridia, natural resources are reduced to just 5% (here on Earth, we’re down to 50%). With so mush-room to grow and expand on the Amazement Park experience, Wake the Tiger’s soon-to-appear mushrooms will reveal information about the guilds and the work Meridia is doing in order to reverse the changes caused by exploitation of resources. Alluding to how fungus can help rewild different geographical habitats and help tackle wider ecological-issues, this message is eerily similar to one we’re facing much closer to home.
The four types of fungi guests can expect to find in Wake The Tiger will include The Water Fungus, which will focus on the benefits of the Oyster Mushroom. An excellent remediator, the oyster mushroom has many healing properties – and versions of this fungi will be sprouting throughout the experience from Saturday 16th September. Similarly, Wake The Tiger’s Air Fungus will hero the Lungwort Litchen, which resembles the tissue inside lungs and enhances the growth of trees and other plants.
The Stalked Bonfire mushroom will represent Meridia’s Fire Fungus, since these mushrooms are commonly found on burned soil or charcoal, whereas the Parrot Waxcap will be the centrepiece of its Earth Fungus, due to its vital ecological role in forming associations with other plant roots.
Growing through the walls and sprouting between Meridia’s environments, this appearance of mushrooms will continue to grow and seep into the new year, but to what extent will this end? All that’s left to say is get ready to ex-spore, Bristol, as something’s coming…
For daily hints and to keep up to date with all Wake the Tiger updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok or visit the website.