Away from restaurants, Knight thinks home cooks are increasingly clued up about foraging. When she first started selling hogweed, people would quiz her, believing it to be a poison. Now, “people just take it and say ‘oh yes, I know hogweed’.”

Depending on your region, you may benefit from guides that are specific to geographic regions. There are guides for North American species, western mushrooms, coastal regions, the Midwest, and more. Mushroom Mesh Bag for Foraging There are several ways to make a mushroom spore print. Each method depends on the mushrooms itself, whether it has gills, pores, or takes another form.And in the interest of protecting wildlife, familiarise yourself with what woodland animals’ habitats look like – so you can ensure you’re not destroying someone’s home as you forage. Don’t forage protected species Well, I’m convinced! So, what’s first on my wild food shopping list? I think it’s time you revealed the answer to your question, Beth. Fruit, berries and nuts are also great food for nature attracting animals from far around to the feast. This is not only good for the birds though as the plants and trees want them to eat their fruits so that they can then spread their seeds. A mushroom brush is a soft bristle brush used for cleaning your foraged mushrooms. They’re typically smaller and inexpensive, with bristles that are firm enough to clear away dirt but soft enough to not damage the mushroom itself.

At the start of the experiment this forager felt flat – low in energy, emotion or excitement, but after some weeks of wild food, fresh air and appreciation of nature, she doesn’t want the project to stop. Even if you don't buy into the whole idea of fully encompassing a wild diet - because for most people it's fairly much unattainable - but for people just incorporating a small amount of wild food into their diet, you’re increasing massively the amount of nutrients, the micronutrients and the vitamins that you're getting, a lot of which aren't even available regularly in your commonly bought foods. It’s possible that you may have to actually cut the mushroom or use your gardening trowel to closely examine the mushroom. Though not preferable, since it potentially means needlessly disrupting that environment, this isn’t uncommon. Paper For Making Mushroom Spore Prints After a day of mushroom foraging, you should run your brush under hot water and remove any visible dirt or other debris. After that you can boil it to ensure it is sterilized and clean or just shake off the excess water and let it air dry. When you’re confident to head out on your own, remember to only gather plants you can 100% identify from clean, unpolluted areas,’ she says. Seek permissionHowever, despite the bright colours, this isn't quite the dangerous mushroom many think it would be. The Fly Agaric does not contain the vital organ destroying toxins that can be found in the Deathcap and Destroying Angel. It's the rather pale coloured species of Amanita that you should be more concerned with. Almost all creepy crawlies and other animals will do their best to avoid you if you give them the chance. Some you need to look out for though and help out or avoid if you can. For example, a pile of logs in the woods will be home to numerous animals. Hedgehogs make their homes in these places, and stag beetles lay their grubs in the wood, so you shouldn’t disturb these places when foraging.