How to Lead a Foray

Guide to Leading a Mushroom Foray

Quick Start Guide

Leading a mushroom foray is fun, engaging, and doesn’t require expert-level knowledge! Your role is to facilitate exploration and curiosity while ensuring a great experience for all participants.

Basic Steps:

  1. Introduction: Welcome participants, introduce yourself, and share basic mushroom facts.

  2. Set the Tone: Let people know that forays are about discovery, not just expert knowledge.

  3. Exploration: Encourage participants to roam, observe, and share their finds.

  4. Discussion & ID: Engage the group by pointing out key identification features and dispelling myths.

  5. Wrap-Up: Review highlights, answer questions, and send folks off with inspiration for their next adventure.

The Joy of Leading a Foray

  • Forays are for everyone. You don’t need to be a mycology expert. Enthusiasm and curiosity go a long way!

  • You never know what you’ll find. Mushrooms are full of surprises, and every foray is unique.

  • Learning together is part of the fun. No one knows everything, and that’s what makes it exciting!

  • Don’t munch on a hunch! The golden rule: never eat a mushroom unless you’re 100% sure of its identity. Even then, it is best to try some (cooked of course) and wait before eating more - mushroom allergies do happen!

Foray Basics

What Are Mushrooms?

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, with their main structure (mycelium) hidden in the substrate. They spread through microscopic spores and play a vital role in ecosystems. They break down complex carbon sources and many even form mutually beneficial relationships with plants.

Common Myths

  • Picking mushrooms harms them. Nope! The mycelium stays put underground and keeps doing its thing. Even if you disturb it, mycelium regrows quickly. The majority of mushrooms only last a few days or weeks, much like fruit.

  • Touching mushrooms is dangerous. Not at all. Touching, smelling, and even tasting (then spitting) are all standard ID techniques.

  • If it grows on wood, it’s safe. Nope again! Some of the deadliest mushrooms, like Galerina marginata (Funeral Bell), grow on wood.

Foray Preparation

Essential Tools

  • Books & Guides – Region-specific books are great for ID, but keep in mind mycology is always evolving.

  • Camera/Macro Lens – Helps document key features for ID. Phone cameras with clip-on macro lenses are great!

  • Basket or Tacklebox – Useful for collecting specimens to examine later.

  • Knife – For cleaning up specimens and exposing key features.

  • iNaturalist App – Great for recording finds and contributing to citizen science.

  • Map or GPS App – Helps keep track of where you are (and how to get back!).

Things to Keep in Mind

  • Look up as well as down. Tree ears, oysters, and Chicken of the Woods might be above eye level.

  • Use your nose! Some mushrooms smell like anise, curry, or even radishes.

  • Don’t just break mushrooms off. Digging up the base can reveal crucial ID features. When harvesting edible mushrooms however, cutting or breaking them off keeps the dirt out of your bag!

Ethical & Responsible Foraging

  • Pick freely, but with purpose. Overharvesting fungi isn’t really an issue in Iowa, so collect as much as you need for your own education or personal use! Just be mindful with woody perennial fungi like Ganoderma applanatum - if you’re picking it, have a plan for how you’ll use it (tea, art, etc.).

  • Use breathable bags. Mesh, paper, or wax bags help with spore dispersal.

  • Leave no trace. Be respectful of the land and its ecosystems. Do not leave trash or intentionally destroy resources.

Wrapping Up Your Foray

  • Gather and reflect. Ask participants about their favorite finds and what surprised them most.

  • Promote further learning. Share books, apps, and groups like the Prairie States Mushroom Club. Encourage participants to identify their finds and make iNaturalist observations.

  • Celebrate the adventure. A foray is about more than just finding mushrooms - it’s about discovery, curiosity, and connection with nature.

Final Thought: A mushroom foray isn’t just about fungi—it’s a good walk made better. The woods are full of stories waiting to be found, and every step brings a new mystery. So get out there, explore, and enjoy!