We've bundled our Mushroom Foraging Kit and Video Tutorial, so you can head out foraging, well prepared with all the necessary knowledge and gear!
Hedgehogs! Bearshead! Gills, pores and spines! Mushrooms are complex as they are comical—mysterious, magical and commonplace all at the same time. After nearly 10 years of offering in-person mycology workshops, we’re pleased to bring you an introductory video course by myco-educator and Columbia Gorge native, Rachel Zoller. In this 20 minute video, Rachel guides us through safely and sustainably harvesting a selection of common edible mushrooms, featuring lessons on anatomy and identification. Throughout these lessons, Rachel shares tips on where to find edible mushrooms, including their preferred habitats and conditions for growth. Viewers will take away information on forest safety, sustainable approaches to foraging, how to identify a selection of common edible mushrooms and a greater sense of how fungi are an intrinsic and integral part of the forest ecosystem.
You’ve watched the video and are ready to hit the muddy trail! We’ve created a kit packed with high-quality gear, designed for mushroom foraging and made to last a lifetime, like our wood-handled, folding pocket knife with brush, mesh bags for preserving your harvest, and weatherproof, Rite in the Rain notebook made locally in Tacoma, WA since 1916. We’ve included an emergency whistle and sturdy metal carabiner compass: because ‘just in case’ is the name of our game! We’ve also included a comprehensive field guide, Mushrooms of Cascadia written by local legend Michael Beug, alongside our Beginning Foraging NatureBook written in collaboration with myco-educator and Columbia Gorge native, Rachel Zoller. This kit will give you the tools, resources and gear you need to safely and confidently begin your foraging journey!
Our Beginning Foraging: Mushrooms of the Cascades NatureBook contains a complete packing list for a typical 1-day excursion in the PNW forests.
