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14-09-2006, 05:36 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I note that a lot more people are asking for locations of Fungi
The disturbing trend is that they want to eat them 
They cannot be bothered to look for themselves and could
decimate local stocks ,one woman actually made a business out of it!
Are we being too helpful?
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You cannot maintain an ecology, if you lose any of the pieces. |
14-09-2006, 06:10 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2006 Location: East Sussex
Posts: 801
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I know of a site for Magic Mushrooms and a few for eating mushrooms. I would not pass on that information on a thread or to people that I do not know. Same with rare plants. Any one could be listening in. |
14-09-2006, 07:57 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Horsham W Sussex
Posts: 1,474
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I agree, I bet lots of people reading this site, who we don't know of, would love some info on where to get wild food. I was once asked to become a picker. There is big business in wild food in the restraunts. I think people working for them do not worry about taking everything in an area, because they are picking for money, so the more they get, the more money they recieve............... |
15-09-2006, 09:04 AM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mendip Dist. Somerset
Posts: 729
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Whether it's fungi sites, Badger setts or rare plant site, let's keep them off the web.
Unless I know the person I'd never pass on info of that nature. If you think that's hard, well, I want to see the orchid growing there next year. I much prefer face to face exchange where I can check out the person. |
15-09-2006, 09:13 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,694
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I thought I remembered reading that picking the fruiting body doesn't actually harm the fungus any more than picking an apple harms an apple tree esp since the spores are released relatively quickly and profusely? Although obviously it means there's fewer to see and learn from and fewer for slugs to eat and there's probably specialist inverts for each kind maybe? |
15-09-2006, 10:44 AM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
"there's probably specialist inverts for each kind maybe?"
Sorry Gill,specialist inverts I don't understand 
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You cannot maintain an ecology, if you lose any of the pieces. |
15-09-2006, 10:48 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,694
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by nightshade "there's probably specialist inverts for each kind maybe?"
Sorry Gill,specialist inverts I don't understand | Sorry, I meant I expect there are species of invertebrate that are reliant on or specialised for specific fungal speciesor families and these would obviously lose out if all the fruiting fungal bodiesare removed. |
15-09-2006, 10:55 AM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
If I remember correctly fungi also promote growth in trees etc. and without them a lot of plants ,then insects,then mammals and birds would die out
(thanks for the explanation Gill)
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15-09-2006, 11:01 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,694
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by nightshade If I remember correctly fungi also promote growth in trees etc. and without them a lot of plants ,then insects,then mammals and birds would die out
(thanks for the explanation Gill) |
Yes but that's the underground part of the fungi that does that. The fruiting body - the toadstool or mushroom is a bit like the tip of the iceburg the actual fungus in below ground, removing the mushroom doesn't actually damage the fungus....
Ploughing up of soil or application of improvers or fungus can seriously damage or kill off the fungus - hence why it's considered to be possibly a bad idea to feed trees if you're trying to develop a woodland |
15-09-2006, 11:12 AM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Gill is this why areas burned out by fires take so long to recover?
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You cannot maintain an ecology, if you lose any of the pieces. |
15-09-2006, 11:41 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,694
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by nightshade Gill is this why areas burned out by fires take so long to recover? | very possibly, I know the whole world of underground fungal relations is only just being learnt about. I was at talk given by Oliver Rackham last night and he was taking about a Honey Fungus within a wood where they discovered basically that it's underground structure spread well over an acre making it technically one of the UKs largest organisims..... |
15-09-2006, 12:53 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 688
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I have a great interest in foraging for wild food but simply to learn what is safe to eat and how to prepare it. Beyond that if I don't need to eat it I'll leave it where it is, or alternatively grow some in my garden.
As for wild mushrooms, I wouldn't sample them without having an expert with me until I learned more and I haven't had that kind of training yet.
I agree its wise not to post any locations on the web. Not everyone is responsible enough to make sure they put something back when they take from the Natural environment. |
15-09-2006, 01:24 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 923
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Posting exact locations on open fora should be shied away from, with the possible exception of reserves which should have their own by-laws to protect against over-collection. Perhaps in addition, there should be somewhere on this forum that details which species are protected by law-maybe a note on any gallery photos or something, just to cover WAB's back, this applies to other groups, not just fungi. Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware there is no internet site which lists the British red data species so the effort required may be too much. |
15-09-2006, 01:35 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 1,373
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
On a similar note I recall somebody from a restaurant collecting Roman snails near Cheltenham and being fined. |
17-09-2006, 02:23 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Sussex - hurrah!
Posts: 1,569
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
At Warnham Nature Reserve, West Sussex, there is a notice requesting that blackberries aren't picked - it's the first time I've seen such a notice but if it assists the wildlife surviving the winter then it must be a good thing. |
17-09-2006, 03:51 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Simple things,like leaving the birds share of fruit and berries on the bushes makes a huge difference in a hard winter,fallers from apple trees should be left if possible
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17-09-2006, 09:11 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Horsham W Sussex
Posts: 1,474
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Susie At Warnham Nature Reserve, West Sussex, there is a notice requesting that blackberries aren't picked - it's the first time I've seen such a notice but if it assists the wildlife surviving the winter then it must be a good thing. | Hello Susie............This is my local reserve and I know the lady who requested that sign and I fully support it. It is a reserve, set aside in this busy world, for nature. If people go round and take the fruits, then the wildlife is going to suffer.
I would urge people to request similar signs at there local reserves............... |
17-09-2006, 10:40 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 409
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
I have just perused this thread and am surprised by some of what I read. Whilst I understand entirely the desire to protect the sites of rare plants, I do not see how this can be equated with picking blackberries or indeed fungi, the original subject of the thread. Asking people not to pick blackberries is pure nonsense. For every one blackberry, or any other wild fruit that comes to mind, that you pick there are a dozen more that you didn't see, can't reach or simply didn't want because you already have enough. Myself and neighbours have picked all we want around here and you can hardly see the difference. Commercial exploitation of an area would be a different matter. From what I have seen of fungi locally, the animals usually get to it first and picking it would not, in any case, affect the mycelium, though I will bow to an expert view.
There have been a number of other threads related to the use of wild fruit with none of the above caveats being mentioned.
On the other hand, there certainly are some would-be opportunists around, such as the on-going list of people asking where they can find crayfish, and I agree that these people do not deserve to receive information.  |
17-09-2006, 10:51 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: South Cheshire UK
Posts: 844
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
There are a good number of Invertebrates closely associated with just the fungal fruiting bodies esp Mycetophilidae that would suffer enormously from commercial picking
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18-09-2006, 08:45 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Sussex - hurrah!
Posts: 1,569
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jonny Hello Susie............This is my local reserve and I know the lady who requested that sign and I fully support it. It is a reserve, set aside in this busy world, for nature. If people go round and take the fruits, then the wildlife is going to suffer.
I would urge people to request similar signs at there local reserves............... | Well, hopefully in a month or two it will be my local reserve as well. 
I understand the point of not picking wild food within a reserve, but outside of a reserve unless it is endangered I will pick a small quantity if I come across it.
I love foraging for wild food; not only does it taste good but it gives me a feeling of being in tune with the seasons and nature. Watching a plant flower, be pollinated, set fruit and then that fruit ripen, become lush and then eat it is part of the wheel of life to me as it is probably as close to a spiritual experience as I get. lol. If there are any pagans here I think they will understand.
But I apologise because I am wandering off topic, I understand the threat to wild fungi from over picking and agree that sites should not be posted on the interwebz.
As for crayfish ... well, when I eat American Signal Crayfish I regard that as a win/win. A win for my tummy and a win cos they shouldn't be there in the first place. The only loser is the crayfish  |
18-09-2006, 08:59 AM
|  | Frozen | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.E. Lincolnshire
Posts: 4,130
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Susie Well, hopefully in a month or two it will be my local reserve as well.
I understand the point of not picking wild food within a reserve, but outside of a reserve unless it is endangered I will pick a small quantity if I come across it.
I love foraging for wild food; not only does it taste good but it gives me a feeling of being in tune with the seasons and nature. Watching a plant flower, be pollinated, set fruit and then that fruit ripen, become lush and then eat it is part of the wheel of life to me as it is probably as close to a spiritual experience as I get. lol. If there are any pagans here I think they will understand.
But I apologise because I am wandering off topic, I understand the threat to wild fungi from over picking and agree that sites should not be posted on the interwebz.
As for crayfish ... well, when I eat American Signal Crayfish I regard that as a win/win. A win for my tummy and a win cos they shouldn't be there in the first place. The only loser is the crayfish | Couldn't have put it better myself Susie!
......so I'm not the only one that dances around the campfire naked then 
If people just took enough for a meal or two, I don't see the problem. It's when you see them with carrier bags or buckets full that get's on my nerves.
PaganAl  |
18-09-2006, 09:19 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,694
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Alan Couldn't have put it better myself Susie!
......so I'm not the only one that dances around the campfire naked then
If people just took enough for a meal or two, I don't see the problem. It's when you see them with carrier bags or buckets full that get's on my nerves.
PaganAl |
that will be for blackberry wine probably - you need loads!! Thankfully i live a little off the beaten track and pressures on this wild resource are less than more densly populated areas.
it's such a shame though that country folk everywhere can't do now what they've always done and live off of the woodlands, hedgerows and field edges in times of plenty because we've managed to get ourselves to a place where there's too many people and not enough usable habitat....... |
18-09-2006, 09:25 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Sussex - hurrah!
Posts: 1,569
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Conversely, where I live in London hardly anyone picks blackberries anymore and the majority of the fruit seems to be left to rot on the plant. People here would rather go to Tescos and buy a dozen farmed berries for a couple of quid than pick them themselves.
More for me and the birdies, so I ain't complain' |
18-09-2006, 11:47 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Horsham W Sussex
Posts: 1,474
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Susie Well, hopefully in a month or two it will be my local reserve as well.
I understand the point of not picking wild food within a reserve, but outside of a reserve unless it is endangered I will pick a small quantity if I come across it.
I love foraging for wild food; not only does it taste good but it gives me a feeling of being in tune with the seasons and nature. Watching a plant flower, be pollinated, set fruit and then that fruit ripen, become lush and then eat it is part of the wheel of life to me as it is probably as close to a spiritual experience as I get. lol. If there are any pagans here I think they will understand.
But I apologise because I am wandering off topic, I understand the threat to wild fungi from over picking and agree that sites should not be posted on the interwebz.
As for crayfish ... well, when I eat American Signal Crayfish I regard that as a win/win. A win for my tummy and a win cos they shouldn't be there in the first place. The only loser is the crayfish | Lol.......I made it sound like I am anti foraging. No no no, I am big into bushcraft and love to go out and find stuff that mother nature has kindly given us, and to take it back to my hammock besides the open fire in the woods and munch away, ahhhhhhhh.
Its just on nature reserves, I feel, should be totally dedicated to wildlife............ |
18-09-2006, 12:25 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Sussex - hurrah!
Posts: 1,569
| | | Re: When They Are Gone They Are Gone
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jonny Its just on nature reserves, I feel, should be totally dedicated to wildlife............ | We can agree to agree on that one. Plus if there is plenty of food around in the reserve it follows that there will be a greater concentration of wildlife and more chance of us seeing interesting things! Splendid. | |
