Phantom Fungi London - Guerrilla Spore Spreading, Urban Mushroom Farming & Foraging in the City

We're starting a mycological mission to bring more fantastic fungi into our cities…

Fungi fever is sweeping the planet! From interest in psilocybin therapy and microdosing, to health foods, beauty products and mushroom leather. The mycelial network is expanding into the mainstream and our daily lives. We're continuously discovering new ways in which mushrooms can help us to heal our minds, bodies and the environment.

Yet in-between the research centres and laboratories, production factories and finished produce, we are missing out on one of the biggest benefits that mushrooms have to offer... a connection to the natural world.

There is increasing evidence of a positive relationship between our connection to nature and our own health and wellbeing. Yet our culture has created a psychological sense of separation, especially in cities where access is limited and our modern, busy lives and dependance on technology keep us disconnected from the natural world around us.

We want to see London become a hub of community urban mushroom farms!

To help inspire you to bring the benefits of nature into your everyday life and gain access to delicious, nutritious and medicinal mushrooms in your local area, we have teamed up with fantastic fungi expert, Nick Phillips of Grown Up Mushrooms, for a series of urban mushroom foraging and farming events.

Each event will take place during a crisp, winter afternoon in London. We will take you to a secret location where Nick will demonstrate how we can utilise the nature around us in cities to help the mycelial network flourish and grow.

Nick will locate the perfect patches to spread spores for a variety of delicious edible mushrooms types, including:

• Lion's Mane
• Chicken of the Woods
• Oysters
• Wine Caps
• and others…

Leaving you with the knowledge of when to return to harvest each mushroom variety and how to replicate the exercise to grow mushrooms in your local area. 

Guided by Nick, we will also hunt for edible, deadible and medicinal mushrooms already thriving in the local environment. Nick will show you exactly what you can safely pick, what to avoid and how to make use of the healthy nutritional properties of a variety of common mushrooms and fungi that grow in our cities.

Foraging for mushrooms is an excellent way to reconnect us to our natural environment and brings a wealth of benefits, including:

• Mental wellbeing - there are strong links between foraging and mindfulness, meditation and being present as we slow down and take notice of the plants and fungi we share our world with. 
• Physical wellbeing - foraging helps us get out and about and be active, moving our bodies in new ways and walking for longer periods.
• Social connection - foraging in a group can create strong bonds between people and communities.
• Learning a new skill - research shows that continued learning throughout our lives keeps our minds active and healthy and is good for our wellbeing.
• Connect to our ancestors - we’ve been foragers for longer than we’ve been homo sapiens. Foraging is an ancient connection to nature!
• Appreciation for our planet - research shows that people with a greater connection to nature are more likely to behave positively towards the environment. Developing an enduring relationship between people and nature may be critical for future nature conservation.

LOCATION

We have selected locations around the city perfect for a spot of urban mushroom farming, providing the right conditions for our mushrooms to flourish and grow.

East London: Friday 25th November 1-4pm 

South London: Friday 9th December 1-4pm

Exact location/meeting point will be shared in the week before the event.

Group size is limited to 10 people per walk so book your ticket now to avoid disappointment!

★★★★★ "Nick is a terrific teacher. This is a wonderfully enjoyable way to explore the woods and develop more awareness of the extraordinary world of mushrooms. I learned more than I thought I would. Highly recommended. Thank-you."  - Adam J

★★★★★ “Nick was very knowledgeable, approachable and was great at facilitating the experience. I think Nick deserves a special thanks for his care for the environment. I've noticed the bags he gave us were paper, the spoons were wooden and the tea was poured into reusable metal cups. And, most impressively of all, when we were out of the woods I noticed the basket was full not only with mushrooms but with all sorts of plastic litter that I assume Nick collected during the walk. Few people are like that. I've since roasted the mushrooms collected and am happy to say they were very tasty. The vibe was good, the people were nice and the mushrooms amazing. Thanks again to everyone I've met that day.” - O

★★★★★ “An overall lovely afternoon out in the forest with an incredibly informed fungi expert.” - Barbara P

MEET NICK

Grown Up Mushrooms is the name of a small gourmet mushroom farm in West Dorset which focuses on getting delicious mushrooms to the local populace and educating people on the power of mushrooms both grown and found. 

Founder Nick has been foraging for mushrooms for most of his life in one way or another, starting out as a boy with his grandmother looking for field mushrooms, then dipping toes into the power of liberty caps as a teenager. He has been foraging with a greater appreciation for around 12 years. Nick holds his grandmother’s basket as he hunts, inspired by her passion for all things wild.

Now he has grown up and found his thing, and wants others to share in the joy that mushrooms can bring. Part of the message is to be more mature about the mushrooms we eat - no longer should anything other than a button be considered weird or deadly. The world of fungi is rife beneath our feet and is the great recycler and terraformer of our planet. It’s about time we got wise to its power. Nick has conducted a series of courses and workshops in and around the West Dorset area, facilitating foraging classes in the woods and wilds of West Dorset, focusing on identification techniques of edibles (like the crunchy chanterelle) and deadibles (a few destroying angels have graced us with their presence) with a brief dip into the powers of medicinal mushrooms, including the powerful healing properties of the abundant Turkey Tail.

GUM predominantly grows Lion’s Mane, Shiitakes, Oyster Mushrooms and Wine Caps out of shipping containers (called the Fungarium) in a farm yard near Bridport in West Dorset, selling to restaurants, farm shops and health food shops, with the occasional market appearance.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

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