Famous for her beloved books and elegant illustration, notably Petter Rabbit, this 19th century artist was also a mycologist. Beatrix Potter's contributions to mycology were significant, having observed and documented phenomena that previously speculated or unknown. Despite the misogyny that kept her work from scientific recognition, Potter persevered in her research. Today’s show is a spotlight on Potter’s mycophilia. We are joined by Dale DeBakcsy who is a knowledgeable writer for Women You Should Know, with comprehensive knowledge on Potter’s life and love for fungi.

Dale DeBakcsy is the writer and artist of the Women In Science and Cartoon History of Humanism columns, and has, since 2007, co-written the webcomic Frederick the Great: A Most Lamentable Comedy with Geoffrey Schaeffer. He is also a regular contributor to The Freethinker, Philosophy Now, Free Inquiry, and Skeptical Inquirer. He studied intellectual history at Stanford and UC Berkeley before becoming a teacher of mathematics and drawer of historical frippery.

Topics Covered

• A brief biography to Beatrix’s Potter’s life in 19th century England
• How writers conduct research on deceased figures
• The development of Potter’s affinity for mushrooms and how she did research with her limited resources
• Women in science in the 19th and 20th century
• The unlikely lives of natural scientists in the late 19th century
• Beatrix’s individual mycological discoveries including: observing lichen’s symbiotic nature, rendering scientifically accurate illustrations of mushrooms, the existence of mycelium underground, spore germination, mycoparasitism and the roles of fungi in ecosystem ecology

Show notesDale’s article: https://womenyoushouldknow.net/beatrix-potter-naturalist/

Beatrix Potter’s Les Champignons: https://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/case-studies/beatrix-potter.html

Brain Pickings: https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/07/28/beatrix-potter-a-life-in-nature-botany-mycology-fungi/

Women You Should Know: https://womenyoushouldknow.net/