Fall Naturalist Series: Mycology & Outdoor Skills

This series is designed for individuals interested in having fun outdoors learning about PNW mushroom ecology, tree identification, and outdoor skills such as fire-making and foraging. If you’re up for an adventure that will teach you how to find the best mushroom spots, this is the series for you!

Each class will incorporate hands-on activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking on uneven ground, driving on back roads, kneeling or squatting, and rainy conditions.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, keep reading!

Day 1: Signs of Autumn

Saturday September 14th, 2024
1:00pm to 5:00pm
Whatcom County, WA off Highway 542 ~1 hour east of Bellingham.

(Details on location will be sent in September to registered individuals).

Introduction to mushroom ecology, common trees, and land use laws. Learn to scout for mushroom foraging spots.

Hands-on fungi ID activities to help you remember names and uses of various species.

• Common land use laws explained

• Forest Ecology crash course

• Tree ID

• Mycology crash course (vocabulary, ecological roles)

• Fungi Foray

Day 2: Chanterelle-focus & Firecraft

Saturday October 19th, 2024
12pm to 6:00pm
Whatcom County, WA off Highway 542 ~1 hour east of Bellingham.

Exploring biodiverse forests in search of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Fire-making skills. Outdoor Cooking with Chanterelles.

• Mycology recap (vocabulary, ecological roles)

• Mushroom hunting - in search of chanterelles and other edible or medicinal fungi.

• Fire-making

• Cooking over an open flame with foraged fungi

Day 3: Mossy Woodlands

Saturday November 16th, 2024
1:00pm to 5:00pm
Whatcom County, WA off Highway 542 ~1 hour east of Bellingham.

Search for the last of the autumnal mushrooms. Test your knowledge with a fun recap of what this series covered.

• Discussion on seasonality of various fungi species

• Mushroom foraging (Looking for Winter Chanterelles)

• Recap what we’ve learned throughout the series

  • How to find the best mushroom spots

  • When to go mushroom hunting (seasonality, timing, climate)

  • Important plant species to know in order to find chanterelles

  • and more!

Registered individuals will receive details in an event-reminder emails a few days prior to each event with information on location, weather, what to bring, and more. Please check your spam folder if you do not see an email 2 days before the event. Gmail has been failing to deliver some emails to Hotmail, Live, and MSN accounts. Please be aware!

Have a look at my Refund Policies before you order.