Mushroom Foraging Workshop: In Search of Friendly Fungi

FAQs

• Where will the event take place?

  Each foraging walk will take place in a forest just outside Berlin, always accessible by S-Bahn or regional train within 40 minutes of the city center (e.g. Grunewald, Tegeler Forst, Borgsdorf, etc). Once registered, you'll receive the precise meeting location by email a few days in advance of the workshop date. Since the season progresses in a different way each year, this allows for the best possible experience and range of finds based on what is in season at the exact moment of the event date!

• 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 walk is aimed at anyone from total beginner to intermediate mushroom forager. No prior mushroom foraging experience is required or assumed. However if you do have a little bit of existing knowledge it will act as a useful foundation.

  If even that sounds overwhelming, I do also offer occasional workshops for complete and total beginners wanting to hear only the absolute basics – look for a How to Not Get Poisoned workshop if this is you!

  If you do have some mushroom foraging experience already, e.g. you're familiar with a few common species such as porcini and chanterelle, then some of what we cover will likely be review, but unless you have years of experience with a wide range of species you will almost certainly encounter some new species and deepen your understanding.

  If you're still unsure, 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 as needed.

• What's the distance and pacing of each walk? Are they wheelchair accessible?

  These walks are usually around 4-6km walking in total, with a very slow walking pace and frequent breaks along the way. If you have any mobility issues 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 the ground at each stop. 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).

  These walks are unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair users as we will often leave paved paths to reach the mushrooms.

• Can I bring my dog?

  It's usually possible to have one leashed, well-behaved dog who is great in groups per workshop. If you are afraid of dogs, or for any other reason would not like to attend a workshop with a dog present, please simply reach out in advance to ensure your chosen date is dog-free. Otherwise, dog places are offered on a first-come-first-served basis, restricted to one per event.

  However!! it's important to understand that we stop VERY frequently to discuss mushrooms along the way, sometimes for extended periods of time, with only short bursts of walking in between.

  Due to this slow pace, dogs often get bored, cold and/or agitated and become disruptive, which we absolutely can't have. So please be realistic about how your dog would handle this.

  If you would like to bring your dog, reach out by email in advance to make sure this is possible for your chosen date.

• 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.