Gear and ethics

You do not need much equipment to start.

A simple kit

• A basket or open mesh bag. Air flow helps keep mushrooms in good condition, and mesh may let spores drop as you walk. Avoid sealed plastic bags, where mushrooms sweat and spoil quickly.
• A small knife. For cutting stems cleanly and for trimming dirt in the field.
• A soft brush. For cleaning off soil and debris.
• Paper bags or wax paper. To keep different species separate. Mixing finds can contaminate a good specimen with a bad one and makes expert ID harder.
• A phone or notebook. To photograph and record where and when you found things. See Lesson 7.
• A hand lens, if you like. Helpful for small features.
• Water, a map, a charged phone and weather-appropriate clothing. Getting lost or cold is a bigger everyday risk than most mushrooms.

Collecting for identification

When you collect a mushroom you want identified, take the whole thing, including the base. Dig gently around the stem rather than pulling. Photograph it where it grows, from the side, from above and underneath, before you pick it. Note the tree or plants nearby and what it is growing from.

Ethics

• Take only what you will use, and leave plenty. Many creatures depend on mushrooms.
• Leave old and tiny ones. They are not good to eat and some will still release spores.
• Do not trample. Walk lightly, avoid raking the forest floor, and cover any holes you dig.
• Follow the rules. Obey permits, limits and closures. See Lesson 2.
• Respect other people. Do not follow someone to their spot, and ask before sharing a location that is not yours.
• Pick up litter, even if it is not yours.