3 Hour Mushroom Forage

Service Description

Available from September to October on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Kids come free! Join me for a 3 hour deep-dive into the incredible world of fungi! Discover the wonders of the mushroom kingdom, from edible to toxic and deadly, medicinal to functional, and even fluorescing fungi! Our morning will begin with an introductory talk on fungi, covering topics such as how to find and identify them, and their role in the forest ecosystem, before we set off and wander through very special ancient woodland mushroom-hunting! We will identify, and learn all about an incredible variety of species, with awesome shapes, colours, reproductive & growth strategies, habitats, ecological roles, communities, chemical communication, and interspecific interactions, and all things wondrous about the amazing fungal kingdom! l will take you to some of the richest mushroom grounds in South Wales (with kind permission from The Woodland Trust and Natural Resources Wales), where we will encounter a fantastic variety of fascinating finds! We usually encounter between 40 and 60 species. Before each forage, I spend days scouting to ensure I can show you the most variety and abundance, to teach you as much as possible about these remarkable organisms! Once you book a session, you will receive an email confirmation of your booking, the exact meeting location will be shared the day before at the latest, after I have completed scouting, but it will always be within 20 minutes of Chepstow. My aim is to share with you the incredible diversity of fungi thriving in Welsh woodlands, and to equip you with the skills to begin identifying mushrooms you come across in future. This offering is not intended as a group mass harvest of wild mushrooms, we will not be gathering any to take home, in line with woodland authority regulations. The price you pay includes a fixed % payment to NRW & WT for permission to explore on their land, which goes towards the curation and protection of their precious forests. As the season is so short, mushroom forages will go ahead regardless of poor weather conditions such as wind or rain, unless it becomes dangerous to do so. If a mushroom forage is cancelled due to prohibitive weather conditions, you will retain credit and be given priority for future dates. Although the experience is 3 hours, the walking route is not strenuous. 2 kids aged 14 or under may attend free of charge with a paying parent/guardian. GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE ON VOUCHER PAGE!