Can I eat that mushroom on the forest floor? N.B. group aims to answer that
Foraging Frederictonians fan out to find flavourful fungi — and determine if they're edible
Have you ever wandered into the forest, looked down to see a mushroom and wondered, can I eat that?
If you have, you're not alone — and one Fredericton group is making it their mission to forage the tasty little treats on the forest floor.
The MycoNB Society holds walks where like-minded mushroom lovers can search out the delectable fungi, all while making sure the ones gathered are safe — and legal — to consume.
Anthony Brooks, an organizer with the society, said it was his love of plants that first got him into mushrooms about 15 years ago.
"When I was out working with plants a lot, I noticed a lot of mushrooms and I would start bringing them home," said Brooks.
"I would bring home bags and bags of mushrooms and not be able to identify a single one."
At the time, he said, there really wasn't a group to help identify mushrooms for the layperson, which prompted the group's founding.
"We started it so that we could get all these people with this similar interest together and start looking for these things," Brooks said.
WATCH | For the love of fungi and a 'growing' hobby:
Growing hobby
Brooks has come a long way in those years and has become an adept hand at identifying mushrooms and passing down his knowledge to budding mycologists.
Marion McIntyre, now a regular on the walks, first discovered her love of mushrooms at a seminar on becoming an "outdoorswoman."
She said it's the resourcefulness of the mushroom that keeps her coming back.
"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of the wonderful plants that we have on this earth," said McIntyre.
"The more you know about the way that they're used, the better it is."
A feeling of self-reliance is what keeps Vicki King interested, who happened upon one of the walks a year ago after finishing her work day.
"I find more interest is growing in being a little more self-sufficient, growing what we can," said King.
"My grandmother tried to teach me, but I didn't think it was cool then."
Some advice
Brooks said there's a lot of diversity of mushrooms in the Fredericton area, especially in the old-growth areas of Odell Park.
While he cautions people not to harvest too many mushrooms at once, he said that's not what causes the most damage to mushroom stock.
"I like to tell people that picking that mushroom isn't as harmful to the ecosystem as it is for you to walk over there," said Brooks.
"Your steps as you go damage the organism more than picking the actual mushroom."
With files from Lars Schwarz
