October 8th 2023 –  A walk on the wild side at The Great Plantation

It was a lovely sunny morning when we arrived and we soon had basecamp set up and the Kelly Kettles on so we could greet our guests with a brew. As the smell of woodsmoke drifted through the dappled light between the conifers we were soon joined by a group of enthusiastic adults and children including a mother and her son for whom this outing was a birthday present.

After a brief introduction with refreshments and the all important cakes we set off into the woods with Jo soon into fungi finding mode. Despite the recent dry weather there was still a good selection to be found including several lovely fly agaric and after a bit of searching the rare and unique violet webcaps. Near these we found two huge birch polypores (Fomitopsis betulina) often called the birch bracket, these amazing fungi have a range of medicinal uses applications including pain relief, wound dressing, antiseptic and cancer treatment. Numerous studies reveal a cocktail of compounds in birch polypore which appear to act synergistically and explain why it is the ultimate eco-plaster. Jo demonstrated how it can be used by cutting a plaster sized strip from the white underneath of the bracket. It is interesting to know that a 5,300 year old mummy called Otzi found by hikers in an alpine glacier had perfectly preserved pieces of this fungus attached to leather cords safely stowed in his bag. Clearly it was an important fungus whose properties have been known about for some time!

Further wandering revealed a variety of other fungal treasures including clusters of bovine boletes (Suillus bovinus) a very common find locally and named after their Jersey cow colour. Although edible the slimy cap and pores do not make it a very prized culinary delight!

Other finds included the Powdery Piggyback (Asterophora lycoperdoides). Piggybacks are a parasitic fungus that grow from decaying russula species, usually the Blackening Brittlegill. They’re an unusual fungi because the spores are produced on the top of the cap in a brown, powdery mass, and not from the gills. It was a very exciting find, as always! 

Along with these there were several clusters of common inkcaps (Coprinus atramentarius). Inkcaps have a very short shelf life as they deliquesce; a delightful name for a not very delightful process where the mushroom decays and liquifies releasing a black ink which if mixed with a little water makes a great drawing ink. A number of Jo’s drawings have incorporated this ink to great effect.

Loaded with numerous fungal treasures we made our way back to base camp where I served my Foragers Brew which proved very popular. Made from rose hips, blackberries, sloes, yarrow and rosemary and sweetened with maple syrup this seasonal brew is rich in vitamin C and a great boost to the immune system.

We also set up a work table and demonstrated how to make leaf prints using watercolour paint and a spoon. Several folk had a go and were amazed with the results. An interesting and creative end to a lovely morning. A huge thanks to all that came and shared their time and enthusiasm with us.