Most of our forays do not require pre-registration (check event details for registration requirements) – members can just show up at the designated meeting site, which may not be the actual foray site. Forays are typically, held rain or shine, but please check your e-mail the night before for any last-minute instructions.
- Please arrive at the specified time to receive the exact foray location, the plans for the day, and the return time. The Foray Leader will describe the area and let you know what time participants should return for mushroom identification. Listen carefully to this orientation.
- All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form, and an attendance form with the license number of their car to assist the foray leader in identifying all group members. Please sign in AND out.
- Please foray in a group (safety in terms of wildlife, injuries, etc.). Ask to accompany a more experienced person.
- If you plan to leave early, please let the foray leader know and sign out, because car licenses will be monitored to ensure that no one is left behind.
- If you find any good specimens or some that you think might be rare or unusual, please wrap them carefully in wax paper and give them to the foray leader for identification and recording by a professional mycologist.
- Never pick more than you can use and leave some behind. Please bring back specimens (along with the substrate) of everything that you see, even if you do not know the mushroom. It may be a new species for our database.
- Dispose of broken pieces or fungi that you do not want in the forest and not in the parking lot.
- And last but not least……..Respect Nature and Respect Private Property…….and enjoy your day. Make a point of learning at least one new mushroom on each foray.
We recommend that you prepare for the foray. Wear long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and sturdy footwear. Consider bringing along:
- A basket and/or paper bags (plastic bags cause fungi to sweat and deteriorate)
- A sharp knife (to dig out identification features below the ground)
- Paper bags and wax paper (to separate and preserve fungi)
- Whistle (in case you get separated from your group or need assistance)
- Compass or GPS (to help you find your way back)
- Hand lens (available at university book stores or stamp shops)
- Insect repellant (for mosquitoes, black flies, etc.)
- Hiking boots or rubber boots and rain gear for wet conditions
- A Field Guide (for identification of your fungi)
- Your camera – you could end up winning our Photo Contest!
- A personal first aid kit . Water, snacks, and a lunch
Watch For Ticks — Lyme Disease:
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Parasitiformes. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites, living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians.
(http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/lyme-disease.html)
There are ways to protect yourself from tick bites:
- Cover up as much skin as you can when you’re going to be in wooded or grassy areas. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. It’s a good idea to wear light-colored clothes so ticks are easier to identify. Check yourself for ticks after you’ve been outside.
- Use a bug spray that contains the chemical DEET to repel ticks.
- Check your pets for ticks after they’ve been outside. You can’t get Lyme disease from your pet, but your pet can bring infected ticks inside. These ticks can fall off your pet and attach themselves to you.
For more info on Lyme diease, and what steps to take to stay safe, visit the link above.