Fungi offer us a new perspective on life, a lens through which we can see the world as a shimmering, interconnected tapestry of living organisms. - Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life
Adventure Calls
Like many a stressed millennial, I’ve spent more than one morning stuck in traffic contemplating turning the wheel towards the mountains where I will spend my days baking pies with fresh berries, tending to my swarm of honeybees and collecting fresh eggs like a cottagecore woodland elf. What does one do, however, if they are a certified Inside Girl? Sure, you can sit in your living room reading Merlin Sheldrake’s bestseller Entangled Life or watching Fantastic Fungi (and I did both). Yet at some point, the forest beckons to even us homebodies. In my case, the call to adventure came when I stumbled upon a local mushroom farm offering guided foraging trips. So began my journey into the mushroom kingdom.
The adventure began at 8am as I packed into my friend’s car. We winded down increasingly rural roads until we arrived at the destination: a dirt road that ended at a pavilion and the cutest outhouse ever (complete with flushing toilet and mushroom art). We were greeted by a gorgeous blonde named Sugar… a hospitable canine wearing a pink collar who was delighted to begin showing us around.
Under the pavilion we met our guide, Steve. With his mushroom t-shirt and handy knife at his side, he looked the part. Steve began his mushroom empire 30 years ago to fund his surfing trips, supplying mushrooms to restaurants and selling at farmers markets. A turning point in his career came in 2010 when he was approached by Estee Lauder to collaborate on their Origins skincare line. Instead, Steve and his wife Elizabeth decided to begin their own natural skincare line. They have also opened up their beautiful property for these guided hikes to share their love of plants, fungi and history.
The rest of the group gathered in a circle. There was a microbiologist with glowing skin, her brunette ponytail peeking from underneath her cowboy hat and her jeans smartly tucked into socks and hiking boots. She was joined by her 12 year old son in his Messi jersey. There was a couple originally from California by way of New Mexico. The husband, a retired marine, was dressed for the occasion in a cargo vest and gloves. Despite his prepared look, it soon became clear his wife was leading this operation. Carrying a forest green journal, she would take copious notes of her findings during our trip. The last group consisted of 3 older women from a church group - 2 nurses and a respiratory therapist. A scientist, medical professionals and military personnel. I couldn’t have chosen a better crew. Leaving a wake of sunscreen and bug spray aromas, our group was off.
Into the Woods
Our adventure began with a confession from our guide. With the hot, dry weather we’ve had, Steve had fretted all weekend about the quantity of mushrooms we’d find. He’d scoured the woods in the proceeding days and upon finding a few prized mushrooms, he’d placed wet rags alongside them and covered them with a box. Little did he know, he could have stuck store-bought shiitakes in the dirt and I would’ve been none the wiser.
We soon received our first tip - we’d want to hang close to the creek. The stream spilled through the woods like something from a fairy tale. A few hundred years ago, the occupants of the property had used stones to block debris from a small section to create a bathtub. Sugar eagerly hopped in to demonstrate.
Along the water, we glimpsed our first mushrooms. A rotting log was studded with a fanlike fungus called turkey tails. Instead of gills, turkey tails have pores on their underside. They have lookalikes, but a true turkey tail has a bright white underside.
The bounty continued. Cinnabar-red chanterelle mushrooms sprouted from beneath a footbridge. Running cedar peeked from under the dried leaves. I learned that early photographers would burn running cedar to create a flash for illuminating their photos, as its oily spores burn brightly. Tassels of usnea, also known as old man’s beard, hung from twigs. Every inch of the woods teemed with life.
Further into the woods, a plump lion’s mane mushroom clung to the hollow of a tree. The mushroom gets its name from its shaggy spines. I’m told they taste like lobster. They also are known to sponge up flavors, making them excellent additions to soups, broths and sauces (per good old Martha).
However, I must admit that my favorite was the humble oyster mushroom. The oyster mushroom is a carnivore. These mushrooms typically feed on damp logs, but this does not provide them with their nitrogen needs. Instead, they have adapted to eat microscopic worms called nematodes. When the nematode crawls over the fungus, the oyster mushroom paralyzes it. It then uses its hyphae (root-like tendrils) to devour the nitrogen rich worm (source). Further, they can break down certain pollutants, like plastic and petroleum, and even aid in fire remediation efforts (source).
The fungi weren’t the only things of note in the woods. We held spicebush leaves to our noses, breathing in the aroma like black pepper. Steve pulled a few springs of greenbrier from the branch, passing samples around like a white gloved butler. I hesitated before putting it in my mouth, feeling a bit like a deer. It snapped pleasantly between my teeth, the taste like a sweet pea.
When You Realize You’re Not Alone
It’s not just signs of plant life you’ll find in the woods.
In addition to flora and fauna, the forest is riddled with the fragments of the humans who were here before our motley crew arrived. There are bits of Native American pottery. The metal remains of an illegal moonshine operation broken up in the 70’s. Old clay bricks are stacked in a clearing, remnants of a centuries old home that once stood there.
Most fascinatingly, hidden there in the woods is a snapping turtle carved into stone. Steve tells how archeologists from a nearby university toured the property not too long ago to take a look. He says they suspected it was once a medicine garden, based on the plants they grow nearby and the turtle’s healing symbolism. Steve casually picked up an oval shaped stone, with another set of eyes and mouth carved into it and a clean break at the neck. A snake head, also apparently crafted by humans.
This land connects humans over time. In these woods, we made pottery and sculpture, moonshine and tinctures. Homes were built and burned. The land was worked by both free and enslaved humans. The dead were buried, a weathered stone marker for some, for others only a depression in the ground under a mat of periwinkle. This graveyard was our last stop in the woods.
An Annual Epiphany
Artist, photographer and cemetery mushroom hunter Phyllis Ma described to the New York Times how this hobby impacted her:
Ms. Ma said that looking for fungi over the past twelve months gave her a concrete way to conceptualize time passing, especially when so many days felt like they were all blurring into each other, the sameness disorienting. Fungi are capricious — they come and they go depending on the weather, and change with the seasons. Their ephemerality forces you to be present, alert. (link).
In a time where I have been struggling to stay positive, this focus on the present moment is invaluable. As I watched my footing, careful for snakes, roots and poison ivy, I was not thinking of whatever problems haunted me at home. My thoughts were not drifting to what celebrities were posting online or what a pundit on cable news had to say. I was focused on the people in my immediate vicinity - whether we needed to slow down for someone, checking whether everyone had received their handful of those spicebush leaves to sniff and watching if I needed to hold back a branch so it didn’t snap on someone’s face.
Is Woman Goes Into the Woods and Finds Herself a universal experience? At this point, I basically have an annual epiphany that coincides with a walk in the woods. How could you not? It never ceases to feel magical in this place where the water, trees, plants, animals and sun collide in a burst of life.
When I venture into the woods, I just feel like a human again. Just your average homo sapien, sputtering as bugs fly into my mouth while I ignore the sweat rolling down my back and proclaim “It’s not too bad out here!” Just hanging out with my fellow people and enjoying nature.
Merlin Sheldrake writes in Entangled Lives, “Fungi remind us that nature is not just a backdrop to human existence, but an intricate, interconnected network of life forms deserving respect and protection.” It felt good to be a part of that network.
First Time Foraging Tips!
Some lessons from my inaugural foraging trip.
Go with an experienced guide.
As a novice, this was a non-negotiable for me. Hopefully it goes without saying that wandering aimlessly through the woods stuffing random berries and mushrooms in your mouth because they look like what’s on your iPhone app is a bad idea. Find an experienced guide who can show you the ropes so that you can immerse yourself in the experience. I opted for an experience on private property, but my local parks have similar guided tours!
Carry a field notebook.
I found myself hastily making notes on my phone which really pulled me out of the experience. A small notebook and pencil would have been perfect for jotting down various tips I learned along the way.
Bring a small bag.
This was primarily an identification trip, so I wasn’t expecting to bring anything back. However, as I traipsed around I found myself stuffing a spicebush leaf into my phone case and pocketing the turkey tail mushroom after it had been passed around to the group and nobody wanted to take it back. You’ll also want something to hold your water, sunscreen, etc. so you can keep your hands free.
Look around you and ask questions.
Keep your eyes open for things that spike your interest. A clump of pink jelly fungus on a stump caught my eye at one point. Our guide dipped his knife into the jelly and used the tip to write his initials on the wood. He explained he’d do that as a kid and when he’d return the next summer, you could still see the letters. You never know what you may find and learn!
Prepare to use all 5 senses.
From feeling the soft fuzz of baby hardy oranges to listening to water trickling over the moss covered rocks of the creek, plan to engage every sense.
Have fun and stay safe!
Back at home, here are some random things I’ve been enjoying…
The Bear - Now on its third season, The Bear is about a young chef who leaves the world of fine dining to take over his brother’s failing sandwich shop after his death. It’s at once tragic, hilarious, poignant and hunger inducing. I binged the entire 3 seasons this week. Also, I think I can fix Carmy. Enjoy this gifted link celebrating the show’s unlikely fashion inspiration - “Carmy’s white T-shirt has a fan base all its own.”
HUGE HI and welcome to anyone who stumbled across my Substack after I posted this Note while happy and excited as a Labrador puppy. Glad I’m not the only one feelin’ the love here on Substack!
This man’s optimistic take on the world is my inspiration for this post. “The people we’re on Earth with now - this is our crew.”
Are you guys also putting Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp on everything? Eggs, cottage cheese, ramen…
So let’s talk!
Have you ever gone any foraging in nature?
Do you prefer to spend your summer days lounging by the pool, hiking the woods or catching up on your shows?
Mushrooms - cool or gross?
Would love to hear any of your takes in the comments!
Pending I survive my first spin class on Friday, I’ll see y’all next week!
Gabriella 💖
Currently on a mountain trip and I’ve been seeing mushrooms everywhere! My parents grew up mushroom hunting in Russia so I love sending them the pics and having them IMMEDIATELY tell me what kind of mushroom it is. Such a fun hobby.
This was so joyous and curious of you. I love that you did this.