Autumn is mushroom season in the forests around Berlin. As the weather cools and the leaves begin to turn, the forest floor comes alive with fungal fruiting bodies pushing up through leaf litter, moss and wood. These fleeting, strange, misunderstood, and often incredibly delicious beings offer so much delight once you know how to safely interact with them!

On this guided autumn wander through a forest just outside of Berlin, you’ll receive a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to the basics of mushroom foraging.

We'll cover:

the staggering complexity and beauty of fungal ecology, and the crucial role fungi play in our ecosystem
important terminology, basic fungal biology, and mushroom anatomy to help demystify mushroom identification
the key identification features of important species and families, with a focus on particularly rewarding, beginner-friendly edible species common to Berlin forests (dependent on conditions)
how to actually get confident taking home & cooking edible mushrooms without worrying about poisoning anyone
particularly dangerous species and how to recognize them
fungal habitats, companion plant species, and how to read the landscape to maximize your luck
sustainable harvesting of edible species
tips and techniques for how to prepare and preserve your edible finds
how to continue learning and expanding your knowledge and foraging confidence

The focus of this workshop is on understanding and identification skills, rather than on filling our baskets with as many edible mushrooms as possible. You will however have the opportunity to do some searching on your own, and you're invited to bring home the edible treasures find along the way!

Though the time and location of the event are chosen to maximize the potential for finding a wide range of species, fungi are fickle beings and their fruiting is determined by many complex factors, so there's truly no way to guarantee what we'll find. In case the mushrooms end up much more sparse than we hoped for, we'll take a closer look at the delicious edible plants & herbs that line the path instead.

As with all Wild Path Foraging events, this workshop will be guided by Simka (they/them), a passionate wild food instructor and qualified PilzCoach through the DGfM with over 4 years' experience teaching about mushroom and plant foraging in Berlin.

You can check out what people have said about previous workshops run by Simka here.

The tour will take us through beautiful forest scenery, where we will have plenty of time to relax, explore, and take in the serene surroundings.

Attendance is limited to 14 people to keep the group cozy and ensure everyone has time and space to get all their questions answered.

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