As anyone who lives in the Bay Area knows, the outdoors is an important part of our landscape and culture, and people in the Bay Area enjoy activities in the woods such as rock climbing, hiking and camping. However, one outdoor pastime has recently come to our attention, specifically because of the unexpected danger that it poses.
Mushroom foraging, popular in diverse places from California to the United Kingdom, is exactly what it sounds like: the activity of gathering wild fungi for cooking, medicine, and crafts, and in some rare cases, for hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms” containing perception-altering toxins like psilocin and psilocybin. The hallucinogenic effects of some of these mushrooms are a part of the reason, along with poisonous mushrooms like Death Caps and Destroying Angels, that in some areas, mushroom foraging is illegal.
Most foragers go out into the forest solo or with guides and groups to find mushrooms. It can also lead to very tasty meals, according to MS Spanish teacher Maestra Davis, who recounted the event that drew her to mushroom foraging. “When I was eight years old, I was really lucky to be taken on a foray in the forest and we found some Porcini mushrooms, and then the person that was hosting us on the mushroom walk cooked us a pasta dinner with Porcini. It was one of the most delicious things I had ever eaten.” Though the culinary benefits are certainly well-documented, is it a fun pastime? That depends on who you ask. If you don’t like eating mushrooms, an acquired taste, then looking for fungi may not be for you, but it’s widely agreed that mushroom foraging is a legitimate activity with widespread benefits to outdoor skills. Even if it is completely safe, with the proper guidance and knowledge tragedy can still strike; On January 8th this year, a man in Sonoma County died due to what doctors believe was eating a Death Cap mushroom. Since November, there have been three deaths, three liver transplants, and thirty-five poisonings, all due to mushroom foragers eating the poisonous Death Cap mushrooms, which grow all over the Bay Area. Death Cap mushrooms are common, mundane-looking, and extremely poisonous. Health authorities in Sonoma County attribute the sudden rise in Death Caps to recent extreme, rainy weather, which causes all types of mushrooms to grow, including Death Caps.
On the subject of the poisonings, HS History Teacher Mr. Scott, who mushroom forages in his spare time, said, “It’s always horrible when you hear that news. And it helps remind us to be very careful whenever you’re out there foraging, you don’t want to be cavalier about that, because you can pick something dangerous, even deadly.” Scott, though keenly aware of the risks of foraging, especially in the dangerous, Death Cap heavy rainy season, still believes that mushroom foraging is valuable when done safely. “I think it’s good to get to know various plants and fungi in nature so that you can feel more confident out there… the California wilderness is awesome and one shouldn’t approach it with fear all the time. You just want to know what you’re doing.”
Though mushroom foraging has benefits such as improving your survival skills and cooking healthy, natural meals, it also has undeniable dangers, the risk of being poisoned by the wrong mushroom or even killed. In order to mushroom forage and stay safe while doing so, one must strike a balance between enjoyment and caution, as with all activities in the outdoors.