The harvesting of cordycep fungus near Sershul on the #Tibetan Plateau in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province. The #TibetanPlateau is home to the cordyceps #fungus, also known as caterpillar fungus - a parasitic spore that thrives in high altitude, low temperature conditions. While not historically a part of Tibetan culture, cordyceps are a prized ingredient of traditional Asian medicinal treatments that purportedly heal ailments ranging from asthma to cancer. Demand in China alone has created a booming economy for what Tibetans call yartsa gunbu, or summer grass, winter worm, which sells for up to $50,000 US per pound. As the state-supported cordyceps industry has developed, Tibetans who rely primarily on farming and herding have turned to the weeks-long harvest as a means of earning income to last through the year. The annual gold rush has transformed parts of rural #Tibet, generating about 40% of the local economy. However, environmentalists increasingly warn...