Mushroom Foraging for Absolute Beginners: How to Not Get Poisoned

FAQs

• Where will the event take place?

  The workshop will take place in Grunewald forest, near the S-Bahn station. You'll receive the precise meeting location once registered.

• What's the deal with the pricing?

  It's a deep value of mine that this learning – which radically connects us with ourselves, the land, and one another – should be accessible for everyone, which is why I keep my tours as low-price as I possibly can.

  In order to uphold this financial accessibility while keeping this work sustainable for myself, there are two ticket levels: Full price and Concession. Please choose the concession level only if you aren't able to afford the full price ticket. 

  I totally understand if the concession level is also not accessible for you! I offer a fully donation-based workshop once a month throughout the foraging season, which I call the Broke Cuties Foraging Club. Feel free to register for one of these if you're not in a place where you can afford a full price or concession ticket here.

  There are quite some processing fees associated with selling tickets, especially through Humanitix, which is an ethical ticketing platform that donates its profits to charity. It doesn't feel right to force you, the buyer, to pay these fees; however if you are in a financially comfortable position, you can tip me the fees during your checkout process, which I HUGELY appreciate.

  My intention with all of this is to earn a living wage while widening the reach of financial accessibility to more folks than I was able to with my previous sliding-scale model. Thanks for being with me in navigating through the challenges of capitalism with justice, transparency and generosity!

• What experience level is this workshop suitable for?

  This workshop is aimed at complete and total beginners who are excited to try out mushroom foraging for the first time and want to get a good foundation in the absolute basics! Absolutely zero prior mushroom foraging experience or knowledge is required or assumed.

  If you already have a little bit of experience, or if you're a total beginner but you've been reading up on fungi, or if you don't get easily overwhelmed by nature-related information, you might want to check out my more regular "In search of friendly fungi" mushroom foraging walks. Those workshops are also suitable for beginners, but the pace is quicker and more in depth.

  If you're unsure of which workshop is best for you, feel free to contact me.

• What is the cancellation policy?

  If you can no longer make the event, you may cancel by sending an email to simka@wildpathforaging.com up to 7 days before the event. Please indicate in your cancellation email whether you prefer to receive a voucher for the full amount, or receive a refund minus 7% to cover admin and payment processing fees. You may also request to transfer your ticket to a different date, dependent on availability.

  Within 7 days of the event, a refund/replacement is not guaranteed. However, do still let me know if you are no longer able to attend. IF I manage to fill your spot last-minute, I will issue either a refund minus 15% to cover admin and fees, or a voucher for the full amount, according to your preference.

  Don't forget that these events go ahead rain or shine! Only in the case of instructor illness or dangerous weather (such as gale-force winds which could cause breaking branches), or if the minimum number of signups is not reached, might an event be cancelled.

  In the unlikely event that Wild Path Foraging cancels an event, you will receive a full refund, voucher or exchange.

• What happens in case of rain?

  We operate with the philosophy that there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad preparation. The mushrooms don't mind if it's wet! Tours are only cancelled in case of dangerous weather such as storms or extreme heat (in which case you would be notified as early as possible and receive a full refund). Please make sure to plan ahead and wear waterproof clothes & shoes/bring an umbrella as needed, keeping in mind that we'll be sitting in one place for much of the workshop.

• What's the distance and pacing of this walk? Is it wheelchair accessible?

  The format of this workshop is essentially an interactive lecture in the forest, followed by a self-directed foraging walk. If you have any mobility restrictions feel free to let me know during registration or reach out in advance to discuss your needs as I will happily do what I can to make the walk accessible to you.

  Usually there is the opportunity to sit on a bench during the lecture portion of the workshop. Feel free to bring a folding chair if sitting on the ground is an issue for you (I also have one available, please note this during registration if you would like me to bring this).

  If you are a wheelchair user it should also be possible to attend this workshop but please reach out in advance to discuss your specific needs.

• Can I bring my dog?

  This workshop is not suitable for dogs, as we'll spend an extended period sitting in one place and dogs are likely to get bored, cold, and/or agitated and become disruptive.

  If you would like to bring your calm, well-behaved dog along to a mushroom foraging workshop, check out my In Search of Friendly Fungi workshops, where it's usually possible to do so.

• Can I bring my child?

  These workshops are geared towards adults. However, curious kids with good attention spans may also enjoy them. Age 14+ need a ticket; age 7 and younger can attend for free. Reach out to arrange a discounted ticket for age 8-13.