If your experiences were anything like mine, then you received very little education on the subject of mycology in school.
Even during university-level biology classes, I distinctly remember the blatant omission of anything mushroom-related.
As luck would have it, I took this as an indication that perhaps there were ulterior motives involved — a kind of educational negligence by design. Feeling a bit snubbed, and to fill the void, I did what any mushroom-illiterate person might do.
I joined a mushroom club. I bought a few field guides. And I met some people who seemed to know what they were doing.
Over the years, I continued the educational process and have spent countless hours learning from professional mycologists, ecologists, mushroom enthusiasts, obscure books, scientific articles, outdated keys, and of course… the mushrooms themselves. Through this process, I’ve developed a deep passion for the fungal kingdom that continuously fuels my work.
Perhaps because I feel that no school curriculum in the 21st century should withhold training on place-based skills, I’ve made it part of my work to increase the availability and accessibility of this information.
A recent manifestation of this work is an introductory video that I created on the topic of mushroom collection and identification. In the following video, I cover information that will assist you in the process of safely, confidently, and successfully foraging wild mushrooms.