There is a growing interest in collecting and eating the best of Maine’s wild mushrooms. The only thing standing in the way is the knowledge and confidence to tell the good edible mushrooms from those that can sicken people. The good news is that there are a handful of common, easily identified, great edibles that can satisfy most people’s hunger for mushrooms. Maine is home to a number of world-class edible mushrooms that can be found while enjoying a walk through the woods and fields.

At Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, a two-part class will be devoted to building the skills needed to identify common mushrooms and to begin a lifetime of wild mushrooming. The class will combine lecture and outdoor experience to look at identification features, ecology and the seasonal occurrence of mushrooms. During the Saturday evening webinar, the class will look at edible as well as common poisonous mushrooms; the focus will be on learning of a few common edible and medicinal mushrooms and building skills for ongoing identification. On Sunday, attendees will go to Hidden Valley prepared for a hike and to have a fun learning day. Participants are invited to bring fresh specimens of mushrooms from their own property. Physical distancing protocols will be followed; everyone is asked to bring a mask and observe the 6-feet-apart guideline.

Resource materials will be emailed to participants prior to the Saturday night online presentation. 

Workshop leader Greg Marley has been collecting, studying, eating, growing and teaching mushrooms for over 45 years. Marley has spread his love of mushrooms to hundreds through walks, talks and classes held across New England over the past 20 years. He is the founder of Mushrooms for Health, a small company providing medicinal mushroom education and products made with Maine medicinal mushrooms. Marley is the author of “Mushrooms for Health; Medicinal Secrets of Northeastern Fungi,” (Downeast Books , 2009) and the award-winning “Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares; The Love Lore and Mystic of Mushrooms,” (Chelsea Green, 2010). As a volunteer mushroom identification consultant to Poison Centers across New England since 2001, Marley provides expertise in mushroom poisoning cases. He is a frequent lecturer to college groups and a mushrooming foray faculty member. When not mushrooming, Marley is a clinical social worker and behavioral health consultant specializing in suicide prevention.

For details on the class agenda and to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/identifying-new-englands-edible-and-medicinal-.mushrooms-4/