Mushrooms it the Morning

About this event

A woodland foraging walk, looking at mushroom identification. Based near Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park Join me for a foraging walk, focusing on edible fungi and their look-a-likes. We will look at different mushroom families including the boletes (boletus), milk caps (lactarius) and brittle-gills (russula), exploring both edible and medicinal uses. We will also look at the families with more toxic species, such as cortinarius and amanita. If we are very lucky, we might even find a cauliflower (fungus)! Medicinal species we will discuss include turkey tail and birch polypore, as well as novel food legislation and how it impacts these natural medicines. Ambling through the trees and alongside the loch we will explore how to make wild food a staple and the benefits of doing so - from the nutritional to the cultural and philosophical. Throughout the afternoon gather the basic skills required to identify common edibles as well as how to avoid poisonous & inedible lookalikes. We will look at the role and risks of identification apps, as well as how to use mushroom guidebooks and trusted internet sources. The walk should last ~3 hours with the opportunity to stay a little later to ask chat and ask questions. We will meet outside the visitor center, where coffee, meals and snacks are available. Suitable for all ages with children welcome - individual or family tickets. As we will finish by the playpark, this is the ideal loction for keen young foragers. Not easily accessible via public transport (the nearest station is 3 miles away at Linlithgow, about ten minutes by taxi). Under 5s are free to attend, contact me for older child tickets, priced at £5. Meeting Point: Visitor Centre, Beecraigs Country Park, Linlithgow, EH49 6PL Time: 1pm - 4pm