From Black Trumpets to Golden Chanterelles: Discover Vermont's Summer Mushrooms

Two Workshops with The Mushroom Forager and The Nature Museum on August 25

GRAFTON, VT - As the summer sun beats down, the lush canopy of maple, ash, and oak leaves provide a shaded respite underneath. Warblers, sparrows, and wood thrushes fly among the branches, singing out and announcing the approach of the mushroom hunters. Within the forest, along streambeds and vernal pools, at the base of birch trees and tucked among the leaf detritus on the forest floor, are hidden the mushrooms: golden chanterelles, bicolor boletes, porcini, black trumpets, chicken of the woods... each species is as unique as its name.

On Saturday, August 25, The Nature Museum presents "The Wild World of Mushrooms," a summer mushroom workshop with Ari Rockland-Miller, The Mushroom Forager. The Wild World of Mushrooms will be offered twice: one workshop at 9:30 AM and a second at 1 PM. We will learn to identify the species fruiting in late summer in southern Vermont, and then will practice strategy and technique for safely, ethically, and sustainably harvesting our wild mushrooms.

"I am excited to return to the Nature Museum to introduce participants to mushroom hunting safety and strategy," writes Rockland-Miller. "The program will feature a presentation covering the region's standout summer mushrooms, followed by a guided foray into the nearby woods conserved by the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association. We'll be looking for distinctive and coveted species that fruit in Vermont in August, including golden chanterelles, black trumpets, and yellow foot chanterelles. This program is always extremely popular and participants may find they discover a new, highly enjoyable way to enjoy the rich New England forest ecosystem while safely pursuing gourmet treasures."

There will be two foraging workshops on Saturday, August 25: a morning workshop from 9:30 AM to noon, and an afternoon workshop from 1 PM to 3:30 PM. Each workshop costs $30 and is appropriate for ages 15 and up. Participants should be prepared for a hike over uneven terrain and bring a water bottle. This popular event and quickly sells out every year: reserve your space early by visiting www.nature-museum.org or calling 802-843-2111.

Ari Rockland-Miller is a writer, instructor, and lecturer on wild and cultivated mushrooms and edible plants. He is co-founder of the popular blog "The Mushroom Forager." Ari is an ardent mycophile who enjoys nothing more than the exhilarating feeling of the mushroom hunt. Over the years he has found hundreds of pounds of gourmet and medicinal wild mushrooms and facilitated over 150 presentations and hands-on workshops to over 3,000 mycophiles from around the world. The Mushroom Forager's work has been featured on CNN's Great Big Story, New England Public Radio, Vermont Public Radio, WCAX, and in magazines including Vermont Life and Northern Woodlands.

This is one of many programs held by The Nature Museum, a regional resource for nature, science and environmental education in Southern Vermont. More than a museum, this community-supported organization also provides hands-on exhibits, delivers natural history and science information, and inspires stewardship of the natural world through programming for all ages. Find The Nature Museum on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.nature-museum.org. The Nature Museum is located at 186 Townshend Road in Grafton, Vermont.

Photo: Become a mushroom hunter with The Nature Museum and The Mushroom Forager.