Imagine if we deposited our spent ceramic objects into specially managed forest systems, teaming with networks of purposely chosen species of fungi, who over vast timescales - and with the help of acidic secretions and bacterial activity - would break down the encapsulated ceramic minerals providing essential nutrients (including calcium) to the soil community. The eventually sweetened soil would support calcium-loving deciduous species such as Oak, Hickories, Beech and Maple, and this thriving habitat would provide food and shelter to countless native wildlife. Eventually we could selectively harvest timber for uses in the built environment, which would in turn, be returned to the managed forest to nourish the ‘fields' of fungi. ‘Minerals, Mycelium and Magical Forests’ offers a dive into hands-on material exploration, framed around natural themes in physical geology and nutrient cycling. The course aims to equip participants with ecological knowledge in order to create and utilize ‘better' materials, that eventually serve as nutrient inputs for natural systems such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands, encouraging a long-term perspective of our built items beyond individual lifetimes: Our approach emphasizes the importance of considering the wider community of living beings that our materials ultimately benefit - or not - shifting the focus from human users, to the intricate web of extraordinary life that surrounds us. During this course, we will focus on creating and exploring three interconnected material typologies, paired with an understanding of associated natural processes of decomposition and regrowth, followed by a final material-based project: -Designing a ceramic glaze / minerals and bio-mechanical weathering; -Exploring mycelium substrates / nutrient cycling and exchange; -Timber as a living material/ the vast community of a single tree.