Full-day Fungi Identification Workshop (including wild lunch)

Fergus Drennan aka Fergus The Forager

Learn to identify fungi for food, medicine, and general appreciation in a clear, fun, and logical manner. Enjoy a simple wild lunch.

The Forest

Suitable for those with both beginner or intermediate level fungi knowledge. Also includes more advanced cooking/preservation methods.Beginning at 9.30 am and concluding around 3,30pm, we will be foraging in different fungal habitats, for example, woodlands of various kinds as well as grassland (exact locations will depend on the quality/quantity of available fungi I spot when doing a recce the day before). Drawing on my 30-year experience of identifying and gathering fungi, the aim is to provide a general introduction to seasonally available fungi, how to harvest them sustainably and how to utilize them as food and medicine, as well as how to recognise and avoid poisonous species. I will also introduce, with hands-on examples in some cases, how to use fungi for other purposes such as painting, dyeing, ink making, paper making. You will taste a number of different mushroom products during the day, for example, candied fungi, pickled fungi, lacto-fermented fungi, liquid mushroom seasoning, mushroom cookies etc.In terms of non-food related fungi uses, whether you have children or not, such an added exploration is a really positive way to introduce fungi to them, bypassing the mycophobic culture of fear that abides in British culture. A 'simple' wild-food-based lunch (delicious soup with homemade sourdough bread) will be provided (but feel free to bring extras of course. In addition, I will be cooking up 4-5 different fungi so that you can taste the flavour and texture individually. We will also work with some excellent fungi identification keys, as well as a range of guide books. Much of fungi identification using the naked eye rather than microscopes (that is, identification in the field metaphorically and literally) is about a balance of probabilities that point to a particular species. The keys that we will use are excellent ones that, if used, will greatly aid your on-going confidence in beginning to accurately and systematically correctly identify a particular fungus down to genus level whilst out on your own.NOTE! Please IGNORE map location. Exact location will be emailed 3-7 day before the course. Will be in or very near Forest Row.Tickets can be for yourself, a family member, friend, or colleague. To help facilitate good communication, after booking please can you email me a mobile number for yourself or the person booked for (and and email address for them) to ferguspd22@hotmail.com