An Edible and Medicinal Mushroom hike is a directed hunt where participants learn to identify a variety of edible and medicinal mushrooms and their uses. Mushrooms are identified and collected, and most of the time will be spent searching for specific species thought to be fruiting.
Course Description:
Explore local natural areas and learn how to identify and use a wide array of mushrooms. Develop skills related to identifying, harvesting, processing, cooking and preserving mushrooms. Understand how the health of the land is intrinsically tied to the health of the people and how Iowa’s natural history plays an important role in preserving and rebuilding this connection.
This course requires outdoor time actively foraging. A typical class period will begin with a short introduction to the land, a lesson in natural history, and a tutorial on the methods and equipment involved in foraging mushrooms. The course will then involve an interpretive hike during which mushrooms will be identified and (hopefully) harvested. Upon the end of the hike participants will have been introduced to dozens of plant and (likely) mushroom species and often leave for home with food they procured themselves.
Learning Objectives
- Be introduced to and learn to identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms
- Be introduced to techniques for harvesting and processing wild mushrooms
- Be introduced to techniques for targeting specific mushroom species and increasing your odds for success by learning how to interpret when and where to hunt.
- Be exposed to topics related to Iowa’s unique natural history and how it influences the distribution and diversity of organisms on the landscape.
- Be exposed to topics related to sense of place and the importance of acting locally.
- Demonstrate the ability to have fun
Trumpet 
Chicken of the woods 
Elm oyster 
Chanterelles 
Chicken of the woods 
Laccaria sp. 
Blewits and elm oysters 
Giant hedgehog mushrooms 
Iowa “king boletes” 
Morels 
Elm oysters 
Trumpets, boletes, purple-gilled laccaria, Russula sp. 
Chicken of the woods 
Chanterelles 
Pheasant backs 
Chanterelles, oysters, chicken of the woods 
Grilled honsy mushrooms 
Chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, puffballs, resinous polypores 
Lobster mushroom 
Chicken of the woods 
Grab basket 
Ash tree bolete gills
Overview:
This course is a great introduction to foraging mushrooms for food and medicine. This course generally requires the ability to hike off trail over variable terrain. It can be be scheduled from May-October. This course is for all experience levels.
Location:
Locations are variable. Private land is used most often, though special permission may be granted to forage from public land. Feel free to schedule a course on your own property.
Duration:
Course will last 2-3 hours
Tuition:
15$/person. Minimum fee of 60$. An additional fee will be required for events that require significant travel (outside Ames) and will align with state standards. Inquire for a quote.
***Prices listed are a guideline for organizations and private persons looking to book an event. Many organizations have their own pricing structures, and these organizations are encouraged to follow their own business model. Tuition is available on a sliding scale for persons unable to afford this course. Please contact me for more information.