Mushroom Walk

An enthusiastic group set out last Saturday on a mushroom hunt in the Wood, with our own wild mushroom expert, Anne Yarrow.

Mushroom season usually peaks in October, but this year’s dry weather meant that many have only surfaced recently, in damper but still mild conditions…

…and it was a good day for mushroom spotting. Having children in the group always helps because of their sharp eyesight and close proximity to the ground! They found some lovely specimens of fly agaric (red with white spots; the kind that fairies live under). This mushroom is poisonous to flies and was used in the past as a fly killer, hence the name. There were about six species of edible mushroom spotted, including the penny bun, which is prized on the continent for its flavour (also known as cep or porcino).

As the group learnt about the characteristics and natural history of mushrooms, they also came across a few poison pies - a poisonous (but not deadly) brown mushroom.

Most mushrooms are short lived, and won’t be around once the weather turns colder, so get out and have a look around while you can!