Wild Mushroom Hunting

When I was in Algonquin park this summer I took this very cool picture of a very pretty mushroom. I think it looks like something from outerspace. I have no idea how to identify mushrooms. I assume you have to look at size and colour.

So I decided to take a walk through the woods in Corner Brook to see if I could find some more pretty 'shrooms and was very surprised at the variety. There was this one which was growing out of a mossy bank and has a crinkely top like a meringue cookie.

I found lots of these little wee orange mushrooms. This one was roundish but some were more flat topped.

I found some that were a delicate brown.

And others that were a deep rich brown.

And more that were larger, and very white.

From the October issue of Harrowsmith: "of the world's 12,000 species [of mushrooms] only about 20 are edible. Some can do you real harm, if not kill you." Needless to say I shall stick to taking pictures of them. I wouldn't eat one unless it was picked by a certified expert and prepared by an experienced chef...and then I would be asking the chef to take the first bite.

Tucker says that searching for mushrooms is very tiring work!