What do you consider acceptable??

[6F2]

I went out yesterday to forage at Minley Wood and take some shots but went later in the day around 4pm where as I'd usually go earlier.

I found the usual numbers of fungi knocked over and broken but also a fair few that had been cut and then discarded. Is it the norm to cut for identification (or food) and then leave specimens on the ground?? To me it seems akin to picking a flower and then dropping it down but maybe I'm missing something here??

[thelawnet]

presumably if it is discarded in situ its spores can be dispersed better than if it was taken home and thrown away.

[cybershot]

Hi Trevor

Minley Wood has been my home foraying location since 2006. I usually go with my dog and sometimes other WAB members and other interested parties. I am usually armed with both a camera (see my Gallery) and a mushroom knife if the occasion arises to actually collect for any reason such as ID'ing, setting up a study shot or consumption (if I am 100% convinced it is an edible I like to cook). There are various reasons fungi get disturbed not the least being disturbed by foraging mammals, but then left in situ, as lawnet proposed, is probably the best optionfor spore dispersal. After all we are constantly reminded here on WAB and elsehwhere, by comparison to an apple, that we are dealing with the fruit of the fungi but which generally speaking is best appreciated and admired growing in situ. Serious study of the subject requires a more detailed inspection and a great deal of identification is only possible through microscopic analysis.

Enjoy your fascination and, as previously invited last October, should you wish to join other like minded 'anoraks' getting down and dirty with their bums in the air pointing their lenses into the undergrowth, see the link below or in my profile for news of whats going on mycologically in the Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire borders area.

Cheers

David

P.S. An interesting find from yesterday in Minley Wood.

[6F2]

I guess it may be then that they were cut for eating but discovered not to be an edible as they were fairly whole an untouched aside from the cut. As to animals foraging, absolutely, noticed a difference coming later in the day in terms of knocked over samples.

Thanks for the note David, you'll find I'm already signed up to your group and will be sure to come along one day soon! In fact it was there I picked up on Minley as somewhere to go with my camera.

Regs




Trevor

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by 6F2

I guess it may be then that they were cut for eating but discovered not to be an edible as they were fairly whole an untouched aside from the cut. As to animals foraging, absolutely, noticed a difference coming later in the day in terms of knocked over samples.

Thanks for the note David, you'll find I'm already signed up to your group and will be sure to come along one day soon! In fact it was there I picked up on Minley as somewhere to go with my camera.

Regs




Trevor

Good news Trevor - JP, and I briefly, met up with the HFRG at New Alresford this morning for one of their forays and they are back at Eelmoor, Farnborough next weekend. If ever you wanted some genuinely serious expertise those are the guys (Dr Stuart Skeates, Alan Lucas, Sue Rogerson and Eric Janke et al) are the ones to go with - 75% goes over my head but the god news is that when we first met it was more like 95%

There are also an awful lot of those of an eastern european persuasion who frequent this area at this time of year who are here to take advantage of the prolific edible crop .

[mushruman]

I'm thankful then, it seems no one else knows about 'my patch' .But for the record I will never disturb a fungi unless I really feel the need to do so.