Fungal Forays

I am pretty confident of identifying most of the edible fungi (when I can find the blighters), but if you want to do some foraging yourself, it’s best if you are led by the real experts. The Northern Ireland Fungus Group is a very dedicated bunch of enthusiasts who are quite evangelical about all things fungal; well, maybe they draw the line at enjoying athlete’s foot! They have a fantastic website with plenty of pretty (and informative) pictures. They also run a series of forages every year and I have been on a few and they are fascinating – fungi can be ridiculously confusing, so it is great to be shown how to identify and find stuff. Bear in mind that fungi are worthy of conservation along with all other wildlife, and should be regarded as more than just foodstuffs provided for our benefit. However, there’s usually plenty for everyone.

The NI Fungus Group foraying web page is http://www.nifg.org.uk/forays.htm

Here’s my shot of a young emerging Death Cap in the Umbra NR along the north coast – one to avoid, but admire as it is beautiful and the slugs don’t seem to eat them (I wonder why).

Death Cap – beautiful but deadly