Oyster mushrooms, photo by Ludwig Kwan.
Have you ever heard of mushroom foraging? This fun activity allows you to explore nature all around us in search of mushrooms—whether you want to use them for cooking, photography or simply exploring in nature. Mushroom foraging can be a fun and unique way to spend your spare time.
If you are interested in mushroom foraging, you can visit any nearby forests (so long as they do not have red cedar trees). Red cedar trees have antifungal properties, so you will be unable to find mushrooms anywhere close to them. Damp mossy areas are great spots to forage. Looking behind mossy rocks and fallen stumps is also a great idea. I prefer to forage in the spring and fall months.
Some mushrooms that I have found in Issaquah Highlands are the oyster mushroom, king bolete (also known as porcini), and the cat’s tongue mushroom.
In my opinion, the easiest one to find is the oyster mushroom. It is a mushroom that grows in clusters near or on deciduous trees. Oyster mushrooms generally have white or brown caps and grow on the sides of trees (unless you are looking for a king oyster mushroom), so you will be looking for them on dead logs on the ground or looking upwards at deciduous trees.
Some people are afraid of foraging or would rather not forage because there are poisonous mushrooms. Though concerns about these mushrooms are true, there are ways to identify the poisonous ones.
First, if the mushroom is vibrant, it may be poisonous. Unless you are positive it is edible, do not eat it. This is especially true for the bright red mushrooms. This does not mean that all white mushrooms are safe to eat either.
There are also many basic mushroom guides that you can read. If the mushroom you find is not on the guide, then don’t pick it. These tips will help keep you safe. When in doubt, your own safety is more important than anything else.
Mushroom foraging is also beneficial for your health. It connects you to the great outdoors and fresh air. Being outdoors will expose you to more germs, which may sound like a dreadful thing, but will help you build immunity to diseases.
Furthermore, you get the experience of running around, not knowing what to expect or find. You will also build some searching skills and some outdoor survival skills. Additionally, the mushroom foraging community is vast and has many unique people, allowing you to expand your friend groups and social circle.
Armed with this knowledge, have a wonderful time foraging!
Logan Park resident Haley Lim is a Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board member and eighth grade student at Pacific Cascade Middle School.
