Summer Mushrooming Foray: Fungal Friends & Herbal Allies

The summer rains have been doing their invisible underground work, and as the ground soaks up the moisture, so does the mycelium. And that means… it's mushroom time!

Porcini, chanterelle, parasol, chicken of the woods, puffball, oyster… Wild mushrooms are famously prized for their delicate and complex flavors. In good years and especially from August to October, the woods of Germany explode with an extraordinary bounty of edible delights. Those in the know can find kilos of delicious fungi almost right outside their front doors. Yet, as is well-known, when it comes to mushrooms it takes knowledge and experience to distinguish the delectable from the deadly!

Join me for an adventure into the forest of Tegel, where we will get acquainted with the most common and delicious edible mushrooms growing in this area – no experience necessary.

Together we'll explore the forest floor and learn the basics of how to find, identify, collect, and prepare the wild edible mushrooms that are currently in season. Here you will learn which mushrooms to stay away from – and how to get confident enough to bring your own harvest home.

Fungi play crucial, unseen roles in our ecosystem. Yet only when they fruit do we see them above the forest floor in the form of mushrooms, which come in an enormous diversity of shapes, colors, sizes, textures, smells, and flavors. With 6000 species of fungi in Europe alone, there is so much to discover!

Yet mushrooms can be elusive. Whether and where they appear and how long they last depends on many factors and can be hard to predict. A foraging trip with an empty basket can be disappointing – so that’s why we’ll also learn about some of the delicious local wild edible herbs, flowers, fruits and nuts of the summer forests. And with a bit of luck, we'll uncover some delicious fungal treasures to bring home – from sweet, foresty porcinis, to glowing, sunlight-colored chanterelles, to nutty parasols and beyond!

The tour will take us through beautiful forest scenery, where we will have plenty of time to relax, explore, and take in the serene surroundings. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch in the woods, where you'll also have the opportunity to taste some homemade foraged snacks.

When: Sunday August 13th, 11.00 - 15:00
Where: Tegeler Forst, northern part (~ 5km walking in total)
Cost: Sliding scale 40€ / 31€ / 22€ or pay what you can

Attendance is limited to 15 people, so registration is required!

Don't forget to read the confirmation email carefully for all information on the meeting point and what to bring.

A note on pricing & philosophy:

I'm offering my foraging tours this season on a sliding scale / pay-what-you-can basis, because it's a deep value of mine that this learning – which radically connects us with ourselves, the land, and one another – should be accessible for everyone.

However, I do rely on this income!

That means: if you have the means, pay the full fee, or more.

If you don't have the means, please feel fully invited to pay whatever you can.

And if you want to come, but genuinely cannot afford any extra expense, reach out to me directly for a 100% discount, no questions asked. I have absolutely been there, I see you, and I want you here.

I'm trying to do things differently, because it matters to me. Please join me in the complexity of building a better, more equal world!