Guided Forest Walk!

Ottawa has a ton of different species of fungi lurking in our woods. Some mushrooms can be spotted easily, others are more elusive, and others you wouldn't even have guessed were fungi!

Join Robert Courteau, president of the Ottawa Mushroom Society, as we walk through Ottawa's local woodland areas. Our guided walks are 3 hours long and take place in the morning, as that's the best time to find mushrooms! These walks are very low-intensive, often walking less than 1 kilometer into the woods. Some of the trails are particularly rugged.

In addition to the in-person tour, you'll be given free access to our Top 10 Edible Mushrooms online course. Not all those mushrooms are found year-round, so a mix of online study and in-person touring is perfect for your well-rounded education. This course is typically $18.99 and includes approximately 2 hours of study materials.

On a guided tour, you can expect a crash course into the world of fungi. This isn't just an identification walk. We will discuss the evolution of fungi, cultivation vs wild foraging, and different uses of various fungi. We'll discuss different growing habits, tree associations, what's edible, what's inedible, and what's toxic. Of course, we'll also discuss different shapes, sizes and forms of fungi, and how you can identify them yourself.

Robert will helpfully explain how to use a field guide when identifying mushrooms. It's useful if you have a field guide on hand to put the tips into practice in the moment. We’re offering $5.00 off our two most popular reference books, if bought when you register for your guided walk.

Your Guide

Robert was born and raised in Ottawa. As a former chef, Robert began foraging mushrooms in 2011 while living and working in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2016, Robert moved back to Ottawa where he now works for the public service. While Robert initially entered the world of fungi from a gastronomic perspective (and has eaten nearly 100 different species), his passion for fungi has grown significantly year over year. Robert founded Think Fungi and the Ottawa Mushroom Society, and performs guided walks as well as seminars and courses on a variety of fungi-related topics.

Activity Notes

~ Tickets are non-refundable, but they are transferrable.

~ Walks will proceed rain or shine (rain is actually preferable for mushroom growth).

~ Walks will be canceled, and refunded, if downpours or thunderstorms are forecasted. Rainfall over 10mm/hour will constitute a downpour.

~ Books purchased as part of the walk can be picked up in advance (downtown) or will be brought on the day of the walk.

~ Some of our foray locations are rugged, and all of them have mosquitoes. Be sure to wear proper footwear, bring mosquito repellent, consider long sleeve shirts and pants (to protect against bugs, ticks included).

~ Picking the mushrooms is not recommended during the foray. This is meant to support conservation efforts, plus there is an insufficient quantity for all attendees.

~ Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

~ The OMS and the activity leader(s) are not liable for any loss or injury caused before, during or following our events. You assume all risk of participating in our events.

~ Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted to join.

Location

In the past, we focused almost exclusively on some public lesser-known trails in Kanata, but finding mushrooms on such public trails has becoming increasingly difficult. For 2024, we are pleased to announce that we will conduct all our guided walks on the protected land of the Forest Edge Field Centre, part of the MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre in Cumberland. 425 acres of protected land free from public use and foragers.

Over the last few years, we have held at least one guided walk at MacSkimming, and there are so many different kinds of mushrooms. It's always a fantastic time! We're so excited to have the opportunity to host our entire season on that amazing property.

While it may be far for some, I promise it will be worthwhile. Mushroom hunters know it's better to drive an hour and be surrounded by mushrooms, then to drive 20 minutes for just a few.

Top 10 Edible Mushrooms Course

In order to access this course, you will need to register for the Think Fungi Community which hosts the course. Once you have registered for the guided walk, we will email you to confirm the email address(es) you want to use for the online course, and an invitation will subsequently follow. You will have all the features listed in the course details including lifetime access to this course. Already bought the course? Let us know and we'll give you 50% off our 30-mushroom course!

Host or Publisher Ottawa Mycological Society