Mushroom foraging for beginners - your first walk
You do not need to know a single mushroom. You need an afternoon, a pair of boots, and a teacher who takes safety as seriously as you do.
No experience needed
This is the walk for the person who has always wanted to forage but never dared. You are in exactly the right place. Nothing is assumed: not the names, not the habitats, not the confidence. We start from zero and build it properly.
What we cover
How to read a wood - which trees, which ground, which season. How to handle a find without damaging it. How to use a hand lens to examine gills, pores, spore colour and stem features. A handful of the most rewarding species of the autumn, and the lookalikes you must know about each one. You will hear the same principles I learned from Swiss mushroom controllers, the people who inspect public foraging baskets in Switzerland.
How to know what is safe
The honest answer: by learning identification to the point of certainty, and by treating doubt as a full stop. That rule protects foragers for a lifetime, and it is the single most valuable thing you will take from the walk. I would rather you leave able to say "I do not know what this is - so it stays in the ground" than half-sure about fifty species.
What to bring
Waterproofs, boots or wellies, water, and a small basket or paper bag if you have one. Hand lenses are provided. The pace is slow and the ground is ordinary woodland - see what to expect for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is this walk really for complete beginners?
Yes. It is designed for people who have never foraged at all. If you can walk slowly through a wood for an afternoon, you can do this walk.
Will I be able to forage on my own afterwards?
You will leave with a genuine foundation: a small number of species you can approach with confidence, and - more important - the discipline of certainty. Most people come back for a second season to build on it.
Can I come alone?
Absolutely - many people do. The groups are small and friendly, and there is no pressure to be sociable beyond what suits you.
What ages is this suitable for?
The beginners walk is aimed at adults. For children, the family walk is built exactly for them.
Book your first walk
Autumn dates are live now - Saturdays 1pm, Sundays 11am, September to November.
Book on Eventbrite Or book direct with Adi