The area around Chocorua Lake provides a widely diverse and rich fungal habitat. Ever wonder about the hundreds of miles of mycelium beneath our feet, of which we see only the fruiting bodies? Or which mushrooms are poisonous or edible?

Please join us on Saturday, August 27, from 10AM-12PM, for a Mushroom Walk at the Charlotte C. Browne Woods on Washington Hill Road, with Eric Milligan of the New Hampshire Mushroom Company. Participants will observe, collect, and receive hands-on experience with different types of fungi found in the area, and learn how fungi play an integral role in the forest ecosystem and the preservation of the lake.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear good walking shoes—we will be walking some way over uneven ground. You may wish to bring sun or bug protection. Free; space is limited. Please register in advance below so that we can let you know of any changes in the schedule. Alternate date is October 8.

Eric Milligan, an avid mushroom forager, began his study of fungi around 2002. Ten years later, he and his partners turned their hobby into a profession: New Hampshire Mushroom Company. In addition to providing fresh specialty mushrooms throughout New England, and closer to home at the Tamworth Farmers’ Market and seven days a week at their facility, NHMC also educates the public about all things mushroom through a multitude of mushroom-related classes, and tours of their unique growing facility in Tamworth. They are also happy to ID wild mushrooms for you—just bring them by the farm and ask for Eric.

Banner image: The fruiting body of mycelium, with ferns… Photo: Juno Lamb