Enthusiasts say mycology offers connection, nourishment and a deeper tie to the land – and the African diaspora On her typical walk in the woods in Newton, Massachusetts , something stopped Maria Pinto in her tracks. She spotted what appeared to be a glowing yellow figure with a metallic sheen among the pine needles on the ground. It was the first time Pinto was enthralled by a mushroom – the American yellow fly agaric , a poisonous fungus that is relatively common where Pinto lives in