This is a work in progress. Its progress is likely to be very slow.

What are fungi?

What is a fungal foray?

A foray is an expedition organised with the purpose of finding and identifying fungi. Some forays focus on edible mushrooms, while others are interested in finding out what fungi grow where, for scientific reasons. Forays are mainly held in the autumn, when most fungi produce the fruiting bodies which can be used for identification, and in some cases eaten.

How to find a fungal foray

What to bring to a fungal foray

Something to carry your finds in is a basic requirement. This can be a basket, tool box, or any other container. It should not be something you intend to put food in later on. Something with solid sides is important if you don't want your material to be crushed on the way home.

Something to take notes on is an important part of your kit. The colour and texture of a mushroom generally changes after it is collected, so it is important to record what it looked and felt like when you found it. Smell can also be a useful characteristic, if it's anything other than 'mushroomy'. It's helpful to know what the mushroom was growing on, as exactly as possible. Was it on the ground, or on a tree? What part of the tree? What species? All these are details that are easy to forget after twenty or so mushrooms, especially if you don't get around to looking at your samples for a few days. If you're collecting in order to find out more about the distribution of a species or the ecology of an area, it's also important to write down where you found your specimen.

Your foray group will need to have at least one field guide. Clear pictures and a good description of each fungus are important. A good guide should also tell you what part of the world each species is found in and give a brief description of its habitat. Many guides also have a key. Keep in mind that no guide describes every species, and that there is a wide variation in the colour of fungi.