Responsible and Sustainable Mushroom Picking - Modern Forager (2024)

Table of Contents
Simple Rules for Success Alternative Facts? FAQs

Simple Rules for Success

Responsible wild mushroom picking meansmore than just not over-harvesting our patch. Saving some mushrooms for other pickers is more than just courtesy… it might mean saving our patch for harvests later in the season or years into the future.

Here are three simple hunting rules that are pretty conventional wisdom:

  1. Don’t over pick. Even if you believe that over picking is not bad for the mushrooms (like apples on a tree, many people believe that harvesting a mushroom patch doesn’t harm the health of the underlying mycelium and future generations of that mushroom), it is still courteous and considerate to leave mushrooms behind for another picker. Next time you see that big cluster of oyster mushrooms, leave half for the the next person! Don’t be part of the Tragedy of the Commons.
  2. Consider the Spores. Mature mushrooms release spores into the air that are essentially mushroom seeds. You can respect the spores by:
    1. Focusing your collection on mature mushrooms that have already done their thing (released spores).
    2. Leavingsome behind, duh, see rule #1. These will disperse their spores.
    3. Use a porous and an open-air container for your mushrooms as you walkthrough the woods. Don’t use plastic bags —which can ruin your harvest anyways; look for mesh bags, baskets, buckets with holes drilled in them, etc.
  3. TreadLightly. Don’t trample all the little mushrooms and potential mushrooms in your hunting ground. Those big hiking boots can cause some damage if you are not aware and careful. Plus, it is kind of cool to leave no obvious picker’s trail around your shrooms.

Here are some of our IDEASfor collecting:

  1. Microtrash is a problem! We see the little tiny bits of trash you leave behind. Try to leave none.
  2. Mushroom trimmings… We have found goodspots in popular areas whenpeople trim their mushrooms next to where they pick them. Those get marked onour GPS! Spread those trimmings around a bit. Maybe one of them will start another patch.
  3. Learn something! Leave some strategic unpicked mushrooms behindand check them on your next visit and see what they look like. This will help you get better at gauging the life-cycles of your favorite mushrooms.
  4. Learn to recognize undesirable edibles (buggy, dirty, old, lower quality, etc.) and leave them behind to complete their lifecycle.
  5. Don’t be a commercial hunter. We are recreational hunters and harvest enough for ourselves and to share with family and friends. At the end of the day, commercial hunting is about the harvest and removes, literally, tons of mushrooms worth millions of dollars from the forest.
  6. We like to remove a mushroom with some grace and artfulness from the ground. That is an esthetic thing for us. We pry boletes and cut chanterelles and morels. Long-term studies have demonstrated that there is little difference in future production using either harvest method.

Alternative Facts?

Below you’ll findsome other opinions, facts and alternative truths. Based upon internet research, here are a fewsupporting, or, dissenting opinions and science:

A bit about Mushrooms from Penn State “Sustainable Harvesting of Wild Foraged Goods for Niche Markets“:

“Mushrooms live mostly as a mycelial mat in the soil. The functional structure we see growing above ground is just the reproductive, fruiting structure that disperses spores. Morels are frequently encountered around specific host trees, since they may be symbiotic partners or opportunistic parasites on certain trees.” (Source: Sustainabl)

That is definitely true! We look for specific wild mushrooms in specific types of forests, near specific trees. In Michigan you would look for morels around (dying) ash treesor appleorchards especially. In Colorado we look for big conifers, especially firs, for our porcini and chanterelles and avoid aspens like the plague. In Oregon we love the Grand Firs! But, I think the point here is that picking a mushroom might not be any different than picking an apple.

Long-term studies have demonstrated that most of this doesn’t matter:

Mushroom Picking study by Simon Egli et al 2006was carried out in Switzerland in two locations from 1977-2003. They tested overall effect harvesting, different harvesting methods (cutting vs pulling) and also tested the effect of trampling on the forest floor. Here is what they found:

“The results reveal that, contrary to expectations, long-term and systematic harvesting reduces neither the future yields of fruit bodies nor the species richness of wild forest fungi, irrespective of whether the harvesting technique was picking or cutting. Forest floor trampling does, however, reduce fruit body numbers, but our data show no evidence that trampling damaged the soil mycelia in the studied time period.”

So, go for it, but, if you trample it will impact the rest of the season, but not the long-term health of the underlying fungus or future year’s abundance.

The Oregon 10-year Chanterelle Picking Project by Norvelle 1995confirmed this. In this 10 year study, chanterelleplots that were picked actually did a smidge better than the unpicked. But, it was not statistically valid. Pulling or cutting was irrelevant. Go figure.

However this same paper by Norvelle does point out the true killers of wild mushrooms:

  • Clear Cutting“Sets the mycorrhizal clock back to zero.” End of mushrooms. Lots of scientific research on that topic is referencedby Norvell.
  • Dragging and compaction by heavy equipment during timber thinning
  • Removal of normal forest litter and other water-holding substrates can also discourage mushrooms.
  • Air Pollution has apparently decimatedmushrooms around the world. Acid rain and fertilizer run-off may also impact.

Norvelle alsomakes aninteresting “visual observation” that chanterelles do best in a “judiciously managed” mature forest… if the trees were too old or too young they underperformed. Keep in mind this is probably specific to the Portland area chanterelles.

Finally, check out a good article from FUNGI Magazine on the topic that has a lot of links to research: Agaricidal Tendencies: Settling the Debate over Cutting vs Picking and the Sustainability of Wild Mushroom Picking by Britt A. Bunyard

About

Trent Blizzard

Showing 49 comments

  • Responsible and Sustainable Mushroom Picking - Modern Forager (3)

    Vicho

    Reply

    Just to throw this out there. When I am gifted with beautiful edible fungi, I try to follow what you speak only taking maybe 1/3 to 1/2 leaving the itty-bitty one and over ripe ones. I also remove a bagful of litter as a way to say thank yoou.

  • Responsible and Sustainable Mushroom Picking - Modern Forager (4)

    Jorjette

    Reply

    I like very much picking mushroom and what makes me happy is the experience of being out in the forest and finding them. I am so sorry many times because in the area I live most people became commercial hunters and they do not care about this natural rules – the collect everything, as tiny little one are more expensive…

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Responsible and Sustainable Mushroom Picking - Modern Forager (2024)

FAQs

What is the saying about mushroom forager? ›

There's an old Irish adage that says: “There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters. But there are no old bold mushroom hunters.” In ancient Ireland, foraging was the norm and people believed that there was a different herb to cure the ills of each part of the body.

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What are the rules for mushroom foraging? ›

Mushroom stems are to be cut at or above ground level keeping the growing site as undisturbed as possible. Use of tools other than a knife or scissors is prohibited. Equip yourself properly before going to the field. USE CAUTION: Know the mushroom before you pick it.

Read On ›
What are mushroom foragers called? ›

my·​co·​phile ˈmī-kō-ˌfī(-ə)l. : a devotee of mushrooms. especially : one whose hobby is hunting wild edible mushrooms.

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Is mushroom foraging bad for the environment? ›

Therefore, harvesting mushrooms each season will not negatively affect future harvests or contribute to edible mushroom species becoming endangered. In fact, by using permeable baskets to carry the mushrooms as we traverse the woods, foragers can help the mushrooms to spread more mushroom spores.

Get More Info Here ›
What are the benefits of mushroom foraging? ›

Not only do mushrooms typically contain an incredible amount of protein and vitamins, but they can also boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, improve gut health, improve cognitive function, lower blood sugar, improve sleep, boost energy, improve lung function, fight cancer, and alleviate anxiety and ...

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What is the golden rule of foraging? ›

Simply observe foraging's golden rule: never eat anything that you can't identify without 100 percent certainty.

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What is the number one rule of foraging? ›

The number one rule of foraging is not to eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe to eat. And you can learn! Not only are there tons of books, websites, and apps, but there are also classes that teach you how to forage for edible plants.

Get More Info ›
What should you avoid when foraging? ›

Generally, Czerwony recommends avoiding any and all mushrooms and fungi. While some are edible, the risk of picking a poisonous one is too high. “Because there are so many varieties out there, you really have to be an expert,” she says.

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What is mycophilia? ›

1. a person who likes to eat mushrooms. 2. a mushroom or fungi enthusiast.

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What are the 4 types of mushroom? ›

There are four types of mushrooms: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic. While there are many different types of mushrooms within these categories, not all of them are edible. Since some may be poisonous or hallucinogenic, it's important to be careful if you ever try to pick mushrooms in the wild.

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Is mushroom foraging easy? ›

Some species, like ramps, fiddlehead ferns, morels, and oyster mushrooms, can even be found in the deep South. From coast to coast, mushrooms and their foragers can be found in most places in the country. Mushroom foraging does not require much in the way of equipment to find and pick mushrooms.

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What is the mushroom metaphor? ›

Mushrooms tend to sprout in neglected, damp, hidden spots. The dark areas and mushrooms are a metaphor for the apathy in society which leads to various consequences. The implication is that often people's uncaring and ignorant ways breed 'mushrooms' - ill feelings that can ultimately create terrible situations.

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What is the saying like a mushroom? ›

In American English the phrase "to treat like a mushroom" means "to keep in the dark" about what is going on and "to feed crap" for the same reason.

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What does a mushroom symbolize in life? ›

The Symbolism of Mushrooms:

They are often associated with spiritual growth, enlightenment, and rebirth. The mushroom's life cycle, with its ability to emerge from darkness and decay, represents the cyclical nature of life, death, and transformation.

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What does the expression mushroom mean? ›

If something such as an industry or a place mushrooms, it grows or comes into existence very quickly. The media training industry has mushroomed over the past decade. Synonyms: expand, increase, spread, boom More Synonyms of mushroom. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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