Plant and Mushroom Studies
 

Mushroom Walks in Our Watershed

     Will Harling, a local biologist, led our class on a mushroom field trip into the nearby Marble Mountains.  The Haypress Meadow trail was covered with icy sleet when we began.  As we hiked the two miles up the trail we looked for and collected mushrooms. After crossing two bridges and walking through a meadow, we stopped for lunch.  We sat right by a beautiful creek that was filled with Brook Trout.  After lunch, we looked at the mushrooms we had collected and learned how  to identify them. Will then explained what kinds of mushrooms are edible. He also told us about 4 specific kinds of mushrooms: 
 -The Russalas, whose stalk breaks like a bannana 
-The Corals, which come in many colors and look like a small, bold bush (the locals call them Grandmas)
-The Lacterius, that will bleed red,blue,yellow or other colors when it's top is broken off
-The Chantrell, a big, yellowish mushroom whose stalk is solid, not hollow (edible)

CLASS QUOTES

TH: I liked learning about the mushrooms that bleed.

TG: I learned that some mushrooms make "deals" with the trees.

MG: I liked hiking on the trail and finding mushrooms that bleed (lacterius). I was also impressed with how mushrooms grow.

SE: I learned that squirrels dig up truffles (underground fungi) to eat.

PT:  I learned that some mushrooms bleed.

JJ:  I liked seeing mushrooms that bleed different colors.
 
 

Mushroom Studies With Local Experts

Tanoak: A Local Fungus Favorite 
By Phil Tripp

Do you want to know where tanoak mushrooms grow and how to identify them?
Tanoak mushrooms, also known as Matsutakes, grow in mid to high country from British Columbia to CA and also in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest.  They grow in foggy areas in sandy soil and under leaves and can be found under tanoak, pine, and manzanita trees.  The tanoaks are white and yellow with brownish stains.  People think they smell like cinnamon; sniff the gills to identify them. 

Do you want to know about  the relationship between a tanoak tree and a tanoak mushroom?  The tree captures sunlight in the form of sugar and gives it to the mushroom.  The mushroom increase the uptake area of the tree's roots so the tree can get water and nutrients. 

Would you like to know how Indians used the tanoak mushroom traditionally?  Traditionally, Karuk Indians only used tanoak mushrooms when they were in season.  Karuks usually ate the tanoak mushroom raw while they were hunting or gathering.  After the Indians learned to can food, that's when they really started to use the tanoak mushroom a lot. 
 
 

         

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