{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"233 - The Purpose of Ghost Pipe","description":"Ghost pipe is generally declared a parasite, but radioactive phosphorus first injected into ghost pipe was later found in neighboring trees. Nature is rarely as simple as we think. When I shared this relationship with a group of Wisconsin Master Naturalist students, they were indignant. Our culture loathes a mooch. \u201cWhat good is it?\u201d they asked. \u201cWhat\u2019s its purpose?\u201d The purpose of any living thing\u2014at least from its own perspective\u2014is to make more of itself. This flower is surely doing that. I could tell my students weren\u2019t satisfied, though. We\u2019re always looking for a benefit to US, or at the very least, a benefit to the ecosystem. \u201cIts beauty isn\u2019t enough?\u201d I countered with a smile. In fact, that beauty may be important. ","author_name":"Natural Connections","author_url":"http:\/\/cablenaturalhistorymuseum.libsyn.com\/website","html":"