Autumn is a time when mushrooms and other fruiting bodies of fungi can often be seen, and an upcoming event in Guelph will provide those who take part with more information about them and the role they play in nature.
Foraging for Wild Mushrooms, which will be led by biologist Luke Eckstein, will explore these organisms and their place in the ecology of the spaces they inhabit. He will lead the participants on a hike through the fall forest, pointing out mushrooms and giving tips on how to identify them. He will also describe which ones are edible, and perhaps more importantly, which ones are not. Comb binding can be utilized to create handbooks of information that can be given to all those who attend events like this.
The hike is geared towards anyone who wants to have a better understanding of the natural world around them, who wants to pick mushrooms to eat, or who just wants to find out more about fungi. Those who take part will learn about how to harvest mushrooms for the table, which ones are in season when, and also how to pick them sustainably so they will come back year after year.
The Forging for Wild Mushrooms hike will take place on September 18 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm in Guelph’s Preservation Park. Tickets are $55 each, and they, along with further details, are available on the event’s Eventbrite listing.
