Happy Wednesday to everyone! Today, I'm happy to share a few photos documenting a walk through one of my favorite woods in western Michigan, USA. This is a spot that I frequent whenever I am foraging for edible mushroom species as well as find a place to disconnect and recharge from the stress of everyday life.
While I do tend to stick to the trails when first entering the woods, once I have reached a portion of the wood that I deem interesting, I frequently leave the trail to poke around in the underbrush and litter that lays scattered across the forest floor. The edible mushrooms that I seek are not confined to manmade paths, so neither can I! Doing so over the past 2 years has revealed to me several spots in the woods where particularly delicious species like Oysters (Pleurotus), Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa), and Chanterelles (Cantharellus) commonly fruit. Tucked away from the traffic of the foot paths, I liked to think that I have some hidden knowledge that eludes the less curious patrons of this wood.
Yesterday, I made my way back to this wood, mushroom collecting bag in hand, to take advantage of whatever may be fruiting following the recent rains only to discover that a brand new path had been made right through one of my coveted mushroom foraging spots.
I was struck with mixed emotions upon seeing this. I was disappointed that one of my favorite foraging locations had been disturbed (one felled tree that fruited both Bear's Head Tooth (Hericium americanum) and Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) in the past was notably missing), but I was also excited to know that one of my favorite parks was receiving the attention and maintenance care that it deserves from our local government. Perhaps this new stretch of trail will afford more of the less curious passerbys the opportunity to encounter and be enthralled by some of the fascinating fungi that I have the pleasure of viewing on a much more regular basis. If nothing else, this path will provide me easier access to a portion of the wood I know to be teeming with fungal diversity.
Despite the disturbance to one of the favorite spots in the woods, my walk was a very successful one this week; I was able to find a bounty of hundreds of edible Summer Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) fruiting from a large felled tree as well as many other fascinating edible and non-edible species ranging from a solitary Red Chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus), to a large, fresh Berkeley's Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi), to the ever-so-deadly Eastern American Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera).
Yesterday's walk was a pleasure; I can't wait to return for another.
As always, feel free to offer your suggestions if you believe that I had misidentified any of the fungal species shown below. Happy Wednesday!
Summer Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius):
Rooting Polypore (Polyporus radicatus):
Berkeley's Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi):
Ganoderma sessile:
Red Chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus):
Spotted Bolete (Xanthoconium affine):
Eastern North American Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera):
Two-colored Bolete (Baorangia bicolor):
Beech Rooter (Oudemansiella furfuracea):
Flat Crep (Crepidotus applanatus):
Saffron Crep (Crepidotus crocophyllus):
Tender Nesting Polypore (Hapalopilus rutilans):
Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor):
Olive-brown Cup (Chlorencoelia versiformis):
Beefsteak Polypore (Fistulina hepatica):
Violet-toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme):
Bristled Parachute (Marasmius cohaerens):
Yellow American Blusher (Amanita flavorubens):
Blackfoot Polypore (Cerioporus leptocephalus):
Brown-staining Cheese Polypore (Fuscopostia fragilis):
Crown-tipped Coral Fungus (Artomyces pyxidatus):
Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha):
Barometer Earthstars (Genus Astraeus):
Brittlegills (Genus Russula):
Bolete Mold (Genus Hypomyces):
Thank you for walking with me.
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