This hike is for people who want to know more about identification and foraging mushrooms. At the end of September, we’ll organize the guided tour to the west of Ottawa in the place, where mushroom foraging is allowed. The exact place will be defined in few days, depending on the evaluation of mushroom availability in the place. The guided hike will take place on September 26 at 9:00 am. Please, watch our announcement regarding the exact place of the gathering. The number of participants will be limited to 15 people: the optimal size of the group to provide explanation and help in identification.

Place and subject of the excursion:

This is an excursion for those wishing to learn how to identify and collect late mushrooms. This year, the summer raining was late. So, many mushrooms just start to appear. The tasks of this excursion include the search and identification of various kinds of and the ability to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones by their characteristic features. We also learn about places where mushroom collecting is allowed and the general rules of behavior in the forest that do not disturb the natural integrity. The days at this time of year are already pretty chilly, and nature is full of autumn colors, so don’t forget your cameras for shooting mushrooms and landscapes. We will arrange this excursion west of Ottawa. The exact meeting point will be posted later in two days, after checking that the mushrooms have already appeared. Follow our announcements. The excursion program includes an acquaintance with the kingdom of fungi: determination of the main groups of mushrooms by their main characteristics – sac fungi, puffballs (hedgehogs), tooth fungi, coral fungi, jelly fungi, bracket fungi,  boletus species, and gill mushrooms. At this time, there is already a chance to find representatives of almost every group of these fungi. In addition, we will get aware of the main types of edible, inedible, and poisonous mushrooms that are found in the Ottawa area and around. Mushroom picking is allowed in the place where we meet, so prepare your own baskets. We ask the participants of the trip to arrange transport, as the parking space near the forest is limited, and it would be better if we arrive in 4-5 cars. Carpooling is possible for those who wish.

We’ll meet at the Parking E3 of the Marlborough Forest. It is located on Roger Stevens Drive:

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1FHFK_enCA936CA939&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:1&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=AOaemvIiStguTWSdm4GcA__DH2c2JiaqLg:1632350492256&q=marlborough+forest+parking&rflfq=1&num=10&ved=2ahUKEwik8_S505PzAhUTGVkFHRvfAsgQtgN6BAgJEAc#rlfi=hd:;si:3422931496272292894;mv:[[45.0995068,-75.8047807],[45.0639079,-75.8566484]]

Dress:

According to the weather, but it is usually humid in the forest at this time in the morning, so sturdy waterproof shoes and tight jeans will be appropriate for the hike. Choose clothes for the weather, so that you can walk comfortably. A small snack at the end of the route will not hurt. Take your sandwiches and water with you.