About
Suitable for those with both beginner or intermediate level fungi knowledge. Also includes more advanced cooking/preservation methods.
Beginning at 10 am and concluding around 6 pm, we will be foraging in different fungal habitats, for example, woodlands of various kinds as well as grassland (exact locations will depend on the quality/quantity of available fungi I spot when doing a recce the day before). The aim is to provide a general introduction to seasonally available fungi, how to harvest them sustainably and how to utilize them as food and medicine, as well as how to recognise and avoid poisonous species. I will also introduce, with hands-on examples in some cases, how to use fungi for other purposes such as painting, dyeing, ink making, paper making. Whether you have children or not, such an added exploration is a really positive way to introduce fungi to them, bypassing the mycophobic culture of fear that abides in British culture. A 3-course wild-food-based and end-of-forage meal will be provided to finish the day. This will be served in the woods (weather permitting) with a range of deliciously cooked seasonal wild mushrooms that you will have collected (so please bring snacks or a sandwich for lunch). We will also work with some excellent fungi identification keys, as well as a range of guide books. Much of fungi identification using the naked eye rather than microscopes (that is, identification in the field metaphorically and literally) is about a balance of probabilities that point to a particular species. The keys that we will use are excellent ones that, if used, will greatly aid your on-going confidence in beginning to accurately and systematically correctly identify a particular fungus down to genus level whilst out on your own.
Provided for use on the day: Gloves, baskets, mushroom keys, hand lens.
NOTE! Please IGNORE map location. Exact location will be emailed 3-7 day before the course. Will be in or very near Forest Row.
Tickets can be for yourself, a family member, friend, or colleague. To help facilitate good communication, after booking please can you email me a mobile number for yourself or the person booked for (and and email address for them) to ferguspd22 [at] hotmail [dot] com
Key points
Ages
14-80 in good overall health and mobility
Meeting point
Forest Row, East Sussex (tbc)
Recommended Apparel
Dress warmly. Bring a full set of water proofs. Wear good walking boots, may be muddy