The following article was submitted by the Manitowoc Public Library and was written by Naturalist Matt Welter.
Foraging fungus isn’t just about eating.
Often when I’m asked about wild edible mushrooms, I reply “You don’t have to eat them to enjoy them.” This is because that while wild edibles may be tasty, they also have other attributes that make them interesting.
An example of this is that one way that I’m able to positively identify the oyster mushroom is that there is a type of beetle that lives in between the gills. It’s the size and shape of a small watermelon seed and has feathery antennae. It wends its way between the gills and I often wonder what its life must be like tucked between the soft white gills of the mushroom.
Another interesting edible mushroom is the dryad saddle, locally called the pheasant back. This mushroom appears in early May and smells like cucumbers. It grows on hardwood stumps and trees. Given enough rain throughout the season it can grow back multiple times. One time, I visited a geocache in De Pere that indicated that I should bring a bottle of water. Rather than finding a box or bottle with toys in it, I found a funnel attached to a tree and a foot below the funnel a dryad saddle the size of a dinner plate. Rather than pick it to eat it, I poured my bottle of water into the funnel to help continue its growth.
People who search for mushrooms often have other ways of observing when and where to find edible mushrooms. The late nature writer, Michael Van Stappen, once told me he looked for morels “when oak buds are the size of mouse ears.” I myself know that it’s chanterelle season when violet leaves start developing yellow spots.
Even the personalities of mushroom hunters can vary. Some stick to one or two edible mushrooms that they enjoy because they are the only ones they have an awareness of and they know where a particular patch is located. They keep that patch a well-guarded secret and for good reason. Harvesters are mushroom hunters with fungus fever! I once came across a harvester with two large garbage bags of hen of the woods mushrooms who wanted to sell them to a local restaurant. Another harvester who attended one of my mushroom hikes brought thirty pounds of blewit mushrooms to my home. For me this was a lifetime supply as I’m a nibbler.
I pick only as much as I need for a meal, making sure to leave at least half behind so the mushrooms can continue their simple lives. And before I harvest any I make sure to enjoy their beauty and what the artist Cicely Mary Barker called, “the truth of nature.” A patch of orange gold chanterelles seem to glow against the deep black soil they grow in. Getting down to their level I get lost in their groovy false gills and pumpkiny fragrance. And by spending time appreciating these little treasures, I can later remember that place where I found them, when I sit down to savor them.
If discovering some further specifics about taking a fungal journey of your own appeals to you, please join me on Thursday, April 29, at 6:30 PM for “Foraging Mushroom’s with Matt Welter.” This program will be livestreaming on both Manitowoc Public Library’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manitowoclibrary) and their YouTube channel.