A Brief Guide To Ethical Mushroom Picking

By Snu Voogelbreinder

The main mushroom season is upon us again in southern Australia, as winter approaches, rainfall increases and temperatures drop. Fungi grow at other times of the year, but the late autumn/winter season is the time of greatest abundance and diversity. As mycophiles venture out into nature seeking mushrooms to gather, we hope that people do so responsibly by bearing in mind a few things.

●      Respect the mushroom patch. If you find a good one, don’t tell everyone about it, or it won’t be a good patch for long. Don’t litter the area, cause damage to the environment or annoy any neighbours that might live nearby – leave no trace, and don’t be a menace.

●      Preferably, only pick mushrooms that have matured enough to open their caps and release some spores. Many people tap them a few times before picking them, which hopefully releases some final bursts of spores into their habitat.

●      Many people believe mushrooms should be harvested by cutting with a sharp knife just above the base of the stem. Others believe this can leave the mycelial mass open to infection by pathogens through the fresh-cut; they prefer to pluck mushrooms by hand, gently tearing them from the mycelium. One study found that neither method made much difference to the long-term survival and vigour of mushroom populations, but another study found yields from cut populations declined over time and plucked populations increased. So, a safe bet would be to stick with plucking.

●      Only pick what you need – don’t get greedy! Leave some for others, and for nature to reclaim.

These tips are relevant to mushrooms in general. Remember that being in possession of mushrooms containing psilocybin and/or psilocin is a criminal offence and picking them is at your own risk.

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Snu Voogelbreinder is the author of Garden of Eden and you can find his book here!

Read more on Southern Australian Psilocybes