Winter is here with its clear night skies, and luminescent stars forming imaginary figures we call constellations dot the darkness overhead. The vineyards are an amalgamation of fiery colors of every hue imaginable with a backdrop of the golden hillsides interspersed with redwood, fir and oak trees.
The first cleansing rains after the hot dry summer spell relief for the parched forest floors and begin the process of life for many species in this wonderful carpet of decay and fallen leaves.
The food gathering virtues of our ancestors abound in these still wild outdoors of northern California. For those who are squeamish in their quest for food and would rather not partake in the hunt for their own personal reasons, fear not, as you are about to journey into a realm of adventure and see the quilted patchwork of the forest floor in a way that can be as wild as your imagination.
As we venture into our forests we continue to be overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the space, the visuals of the largest trees in the world towering above us and the raw beauty of the sunlight filtering through the canopy. The harmonious sounds of birds singing, calling and flying abound in this rich environment.
After reading this and placing myself in this wonderful place which is the envy of many people on the globe, then why is my next thought full of such ambiguity and paradox?
On any given day, thousands of locals and tourists are out roaming in the forests, walking their pets and attempting to capture this raw splendor and magnitude of where they are in some digital format to show their friends and families back home.
So, like yelling “fire!” in a theater, why is it that when we suggest to our companions that we should change our focus and spend the afternoon looking for mushrooms, everyone thinks that we are nuts and immediately wants to pack up the picnic lunches, lock the doors on the car and head to the nearest nationally franchised restaurant for something “safe to eat.” (which is a different discussion to be addressed in a later writing.)
Hunting mushrooms is not deadly, and in fact I do not know of anyone who has died from a poisonous mushroom by simply looking at it or by being in the same place as one. With our senses about us and not focused on the negative connotations placed on wild mushrooms by the sensationalizing media these very same mushrooms are all around us, no matter what our passion or reasons for being in hills and forests.
What can be most rewarding is to simply change one’s focus from the grandeur of the larger flora and fauna, to that which litters the forest floors, one of which is mushrooms.
You don’t need to become a fungophile or have a degree in mycology to appreciate the well over 2,000 species of mushrooms found throughout North America. Just as with bird watching, identifying, cataloging and photographing the plethora of fungi found throughout our area can be very satisfying.
Of course, so can collecting and eating them. And yes there are poisonous mushrooms, in fact of the thousands of species there are only five or six that are truly deadly. Our fear of mushrooms can be traced back to an English gent, William Delisle Hays from the 1800s who often wrote disparaging words regarding mushrooms.
And of course, this continues today with many media outlets focusing on the very few cases of those who perish from ingesting a deadly mushroom. One of the most dangerous aspects of mushroom hunting can be the drive in your automobile to the location where you decide to spend the day.
There are many mushrooms that are fun to hunt and gather that are so far removed visually from the poisonous lot, it would be like comparing a Miniature Chihuahua to a Great Dane.
Many of these “beginner mushrooms” can be found locally here in the Alexander Valley on public land. If you chose to gather mushrooms on any public land, please be sure to check the restrictions as some state parks do not allow mushroom gathering and many will only allow the collection of five pounds. You need to know your mushrooms and the rules for gathering to be safe.
When venturing out to locate mushrooms, you can leave the stress of your daily life behind. There is no race to gather mushrooms, you don’t need to sneak up on them or wear camouflage clothing. Foraging for mushrooms can be a very social experience and should allow you to slow down and observe a part of the forest that is usually left for the soles of your hiking boots.
Once you slow down and start to look at the forest floor, you will be overwhelmed with the colors, sizes, shapes and even amount of mushrooms all around you. Some will be large, colorful and obvious, many will be miniscule, hidden in crags and the recesses of decaying wood, and some will peek through the leaf litter as they reach toward the light.
As mentioned earlier there are very easy beginners mushrooms that you can learn to identify in this sea of fungi around you, so don’t be overwhelmed with the multitude of species. You can learn to respect what you see. Bringing along a camera can be very rewarding, as one who enjoys photography you have opportunities to capture everything from wide angle to macro images.
Once you have made the decision to spend time in the woods foraging for mushrooms, it is best that you take along a knowledgeable person that is familiar with the various types of mushrooms in your area. An experienced person can be good, however it is imperative that they know the types of mushrooms you are searching for.
Also recommended is that you take a field guide with you and even pictures with descriptions of those mushrooms that you wish to gather. One of the most authoritative guides on this subject is “Mushrooms Demystified” by David Aurora. He has published a smaller and convenient to carry “field guide” as well as a 900-plus page directory of mushrooms complete with habitat and seasonal information and color plates with intricate descriptions of each species of mushroom in the book.
Besides the inevitable questions on the poisonous mushrooms, plenty of would-be fungophiles ask about “magic mushrooms.” Yes, they are out there someplace and this is a subject that we have not addressed, nor intend to.
Grab your boots, a nice collecting basket, your camera and an adventurous spirit and discover something different in the world around you. And please don’t forget, no harm should befall you if you happen to see any mushroom in the forest.
Ron Pavelka is a Cloverdale resident and mushroom hunter.
