Mushrooms were scarce, but people who wanted to learn about them were abundant on the August 16th Blackstone Parks Conservancy sponsored Mushroom Trail Walk. The traditional cap and stalk mushrooms’ preference for moist, dark places is well known. In a summer full of sun and little rain, they don’t produce fruit, which is the part we see and call a mushroom.
But the trail walk group was undeterred upon hearing that only two mushrooms had been seen in the entire center section of the conservation district the day before. Despite gloomy reports, we set off hoping to find some mushrooms ton which we could apply our new information on how to identify mushrooms. Due to the bright eyes and enthusiasm of the children, we were able to examine seven mushrooms in all. (By way of contrast, throughout the whole of August 2011, a bumper year for mushrooms, I photographed 44 different types of mushrooms in the same location as the one we walked this year.)
Thanks to all who attended for their interest and enthusiasm.
Elena Riverstone, BPC Volunteer
