Mushroom Identification Course
Fungi identification skills course held in North Wales
£90 - Autumn 2024
Our one-day Mushroom Identification Course is a highlight of our course calendar, providing the opportunity to get hands on with fungi. During the course we hope to come across about 15 different species of fungi, from the sought after to the notable toxic and potentially lethal species – and we will talk about how to identify each of them.
This course has evolved as a result of our autumnal Foraging and Wild Food Courses which are often heavily fungi based. As mushrooms are a fascinating and complex subject on their own, we have dedicated an entire course to their identification. We will discuss every species we come across, talking through the process of identification using a variety of guide books and resources.
Although not solely about edible mushrooms, this course provides a foundation of knowledge about mushroom anatomy and habitat types.
Each course is led by an experienced ecologist.
Wild Food People runs identification and ecology based courses throughout the year; our course dates are carefully selected to take advantage of the peak season for maximum diversity.
Our identification courses are intended as an accompaniment to our foraging courses and wild food walks, offering practical experience of identification through learning the terminology used in guidebooks and other resources.
Course Content
- How to use an identification key
- The different parts of a fungi and how these are described in books and guides
- A summary of what fungi are, how they interact with the rest of the local habitat and where to look for them
- An overview of the laws regarding land access, tools and ecological impact
- Choosing identification guides
- ID apps vs guidebooks and strategies for speeding up ID in the field
- Where to find particular species of fungi
- Broad and narrow classification of fungi
- Harvesting and storage techniques for specimens
- Using maps and aerial images to locate foraging areas
Course Dates
£90.00 per participant
More information available on booking page – check for discounts and special offers!
By following the link below you will be taken to our booking page, where you can see the available dates and prices.
You can also purchase this course as a gift voucher for somebody else.
You can read more about gift vouchers here.
FAQs
Yes, this course will take place in most weather conditions, including rain. We will contact participants directly if there is any need to postpone or alter the course.
There is no special equipment necessary for this identification skills course, however we ask that you are prepared for the weather of the day, standing and walking for 5 hours on an unprepared surface in a woodland.
Please check the forecast before coming out and dress appropriately, we will be outside for the duration of this course.
We recommend that you bring with you:
- Comfortable walking boots or shoes suitable for grass, soil and occasionally sloping ground
- Suitable warm and/or waterproof layers for the weather forecast that day
- Bottle of water and lunch
- Notepad and pen/pencil
- Something easy to carry to sit/kneel on
We will provide several guides for the group to use on the day, but if you do already have an ID guide we recommend that you bring it along too.
This course takes place along rough footpaths and trackways in a woodland; it will also involve walking off the beaten track in amongst trees and undergrowth in order to find the most undisturbed areas of mushrooms.
The exact route will be determined closer to the course date as it is dependent on where the most mushroom specimens are to be found; but it is likely to involve some small hills.
During the course we are likely to find some edible species of fungi, however the focus of the course is on learning to identify different families of fungi and for participants to become more confident in the usage of identification guides and features.
No – this course isn’t suitable for dogs to attend as we will be walking quite slowly and stopping frequently for extended periods to look at books and identify species.
The course starts at 10am and will last around 5 hours. We ask that participants are ready to depart from the parking area at the advertised time in the morning.
The course lasts for 5 hours and we will be away from the cars for this time, we recommend that you bring a bottle of water and a quick lunch.
No, this course takes place in a publicly accessible woodland with plenty of trees, there are no facilities provided however there are public toilets in the nearby town.
If you are interested in a day of learning more about fungi and trying to identify the different species which we encounter during our walk, then this course is for you!
If you have any concerns or questions then please contact us and we can discuss this with you. By booking a place on this course (for yourself or others) you/they are agreeing to our terms and conditions and that you/they are physically capable of safely attending this course which takes place on tracks, slopes and often unprepared ground.
Course Venue
The Mushroom Identification Course from Wild Food People takes place at the edge of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB just north of the beautiful market town of Ruthin.
A mixed plantation site interspersed with trackways, settlements and glades is home to edible fungi.
Please note that the map below is only to show the general area – full joining instructions and meeting point will be sent out by email between you booking a place on the course and around 21 days before the course commences.
Gift Vouchers
The Coastal Foraging course can be purchased as a gift voucher, either for one of our advertised course dates or as an open voucher that is valid for 12 months.
You can choose from the dropdown menu on the booking page, or let us know that the booking will be as gift during the checkout process.
If you have any questions please get in touch.
Private Bookings
This course is available for private and group bookings, as well as corporate days and events.
We can host the course at one of several venues in North East Wales, or travel to a suitable venue of your choice.
Please contact us for more information.
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