Foraging with a Field Guide with John Beutler [Field Trip]

Mushroom foraging is a popular pursuit in our area, but it can be difficult to search for wild edibles safely, especially without the know-how to identify your findings. In this pop-up foray, we will walk the lands of the Catoctin Watershed scouting for mushrooms with field guide, John Beutler. This class will require walking off the beaten path, please dress accordingly. If you have a mushroom ID book, we highly recommend you bring it!

*Though we hope to find edible mushrooms, there is no guarantee. Our intent is to help provide you with some working knowledge so that you can build a safe foraging practice for yourself.

*The date for this event is tentative depending on the best possible weather conditions for mushroom hunting. All attendees will be notified if this event will be held on this date or moved depending on recent rainfall.

Meet your Guide

John has been paying attention to mushrooms for about 50 years, identifying them, eating some, studying their chemistry, leading walks and identification courses, and just plain enjoying their diverse roles in the natural world. His Ph.D. research concerned the chemistry of the deadly Amanitas, and he has encountered many fungi of all sorts in his day job at the National Cancer Institute, where he focuses on discovering potential cancer drugs from natural sources. You can expect to learn more about the importance of fungi in the environment as we walk through the Thorpewood property.

Host or Publisher Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center