Summer Forest Ecology Outing — New Event Scheduled!

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be leading a Summer Forest Ecology Outing in a few weeks, and I’d love for you to join me!

This outing offers a unique in-person opportunity to learn the fascinating ecology and geology of a remarkable area: McConnells Mill State Park in Pennsylvania.

Designated a National Natural Landmark for its outstanding features, McConnells Mill State Park is a treasure trove for learning. Central to the park’s landscape is the Slippery Rock Gorge — a deep ravine carved by powerful forces, exposing millions of years of ancient bedrock and currently supporting mature forest ecosystems.

During this outing, we will walk through deciduous and coniferous woodlands while discussing forest ecology. We’ll investigate big trees and big rocks. We’ll see historic landmarks, and we’ll discuss important geological influences that have drastically shaped the landscape.

In addition to learning key characteristics of mature forests, participants will learn tree identification techniques, mushroom ecology and identification, the influence of glacial activity on landscape development, ways to interpret forest history, and much more.

This outing is the perfect opportunity to learn, explore, and connect with nature in a truly spectacular setting.

Interested? Here are the details:

When: Saturday, July 12 or Sunday, July 13, 2025 (Choose one date; both programs will cover the same material.)
Where: McConnells Mill State Park, Pennsylvania
Time: 10:00 am — 4:00 pm

To maximize your learning experience, space is limited and registration with payment in advance is required to secure your spot.

To learn more and to register, click here and choose the appropriate session.

I’d love to see you there!

—Adam Haritan

I Don’t Think This Poet Is Wrong

“Our relation to the natural world takes place in a place.”

The American poet Gary Snyder wrote those words. I don’t think he’s wrong.

Every time we harvest a wild mushroom, we do so in a place. Every time we add a new bird to our life list, we do so in a place. Every time we gather spring water and admire a wooded valley, we do so in a place.

Alvars, bogs, fens, forests, marshes, prairies, savannas, and swamps are all places where life abounds. When we refer to these places specifically as “ecosystems,” a few interesting things happen: We see important connections, we see intricate relationships, and we see where humans fit into the story.

If you want to strengthen your connection to nature by learning these fascinating ecosystems, consider enrolling in Exploring Wild Ecosystems. This is my newest online course designed to improve your ecological literacy.

Today is the last day of the sale.

You can learn more and register here.

Thanks for your continued support!
—Adam Haritan

Old-Growth Forest Ecology Outing — New Event Scheduled!

I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be leading an Old-Growth Forest Ecology Outing in a few weeks, and I’d love for you to join me.

This outing offers a unique in-person opportunity to learn the rich ecology and distinctive features of older forests.

We’ll begin the day by walking through a mature upland hardwood forest and discussing forest ecology. In the afternoon, we will explore a magnificent old-growth conifer forest and discuss old-growth forest dynamics.

In addition to learning key characteristics of mature and old-growth forests, participants will learn tree identification techniques; mushroom ecology and identification; the influence of geology on forest development; ways to interpret forest history; the role of fire as an ecological agent; old-growth forest misconceptions; and much more.

This event will take place in Cook Forest State Park. Located in northwestern Pennsylvania, Cook Forest is home to one of the last remaining old-growth forests in the entire region, currently hosting 11 old-growth areas totaling over 2,300 acres. One of the areas within the park, the Forest Cathedral, contains arguably the finest concentration of old-growth trees in the northeastern United States. This remarkable area is home to dozens of old-growth eastern white pine and hemlock trees, many over 300 years old and towering above 140 feet in height.

This outing is the perfect opportunity to learn, explore, and connect with nature in a truly spectacular setting.

Interested? Here are the details:

When: Saturday May 31, 2025 or Sunday June 1, 2025 (Choose one date; both programs will cover the same material.)
Where: Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania
Time: 10:00 am — 4:00 pm

To maximize your learning experience, space is limited and registration with payment in advance is required to secure your spot.

To learn more and to register, click here and choose the appropriate session.

I’d love to see you there!

—Adam Haritan

Good Morel Habitat vs. Bad Morel Habitat

Years ago, I didn’t know anything about morel mushrooms. I didn’t know what they looked like. I didn’t know how they tasted. I didn’t even know they existed.

Then one day I attended a mushroom program with a local club. Experts in the club introduced me to morels. “Here’s what morels look like,” they said. “You’ll find them all over this park.”

“Great,” I thought to myself. “I now know everything I need to know.”

Except I still hardly knew anything.

Sure, I quickly learned how to identify morels, and I heard a few things about looking in certain areas: “Look for elms, apples, and poplars. Morels really like sweet soil.”

But where would I find elms, apples, and poplars? What the heck is sweet soil?

It soon dawned on me that knowledge of mushrooms wasn’t enough. If I really wanted to improve my skills, I needed to learn tree identification. I needed to learn ecology. I needed to learn geology.

And so I learned as much as I could. Slowly but consistently, I developed a wider set of skills. Eventually, I became a better mushroom hunter.

Today, I interact with wild landscapes a bit differently than I did back then. I now look for connections. I look for relationships. I look at the bigger picture.

All this to say, if you want to find morels this year, I strongly encourage you to learn the connections that bind morels to their ecosystems. In a brand new video, I discuss how to approach morel mushroom hunting through a more holistic lens.

You can watch the video here.

Speaking of learning, consider enrolling in Foraging Wild Mushrooms to improve your foraging skills.

I created this 4-season online course to help you become a successful mushroom hunter. Included in this course are instructional videos on mushroom ecology, mushroom biology, common edible mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms, cooking techniques, and medicine-making.

Foraging Wild Mushrooms is currently open for enrollment. You can sign up here.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan

Preseason Morel Mushroom Hunting Tips

If you want to find morel mushrooms this year, here’s a tip: don’t wait until spring to begin your hunt.

This might sound like unconventional advice. After all, current temperatures are too cold for morels. Wood frogs haven’t even bred yet. Spring is still another 50 days away.

All these things are true. But this next statement is also true: you can drastically improve your future chances of finding morels by doing a few things right now.

In a brand-new video, I discuss several tactics we can implement immediately. I also share my predictions for the upcoming season. Will the mushrooms be plentiful this year? Will they be scarce?

You can watch the new video here.

Thanks for reading and watching!

— Adam Haritan

Two Useful Nature Skills to Learn this Winter

Greetings,

In anticipation of the winter season, I am excited to announce that two Learn Your Land online courses are on sale this week.

To improve your foraging skills, consider enrolling in Foraging Wild Mushrooms. This 4-season online course is designed to help you safely and successfully harvest wild mushrooms from the forest, from the field, and even from your backyard.

To improve your tree identification skills, consider enrolling in Trees In All Seasons. This online course teaches you how to identify 100 trees in every season. If you want to develop the confidence to look at a tree and say, “That’s black spruce, no doubt about it,” or “That’s most certainly sourwood,” or “That can’t be anything but mockernut hickory,” consider enrolling today.

These courses are self-paced and presented entirely online. Once enrolled, you can start, stop, and resume at any time.

Please note that both courses — Foraging Wild Mushrooms and Trees In All Seasons — are on sale for one week only, from today until Monday, December 23.

Thanks for supporting nature education!

—Adam Haritan

Exploring Wild Ecosystems Is Now Open For Enrollment

Greetings,

I am excited to announce that my newest online course, Exploring Wild Ecosystems, is now open for enrollment!

You can register here.

This course is designed to improve your ecological knowledge by introducing you to fascinating ecosystems — including alvars, barrens, bogs, dunes, fens, glades, savannas, vernal pools, and others!

Learning to recognize ecosystems is an essential step toward understanding how nature works. When we pay attention to the bigger picture, we see beyond individual components. We see connections, we see relationships, and we see where humans fit into the story.

If you want to develop ecological literacy; if you want to be able to read landscapes more effectively; if you want to see how all the components within nature are connected, consider enrolling in Exploring Wild Ecosystems today.

Please note that Exploring Wild Ecosystems is open for one week only — from today until Monday, September 30. After that, registration will be closed. Upon registration, you can immediately access all course content and view the lessons at your own pace.

To learn more about the course, check out this video which gives you an overview of what you can expect.

Thanks for supporting nature education! I hope to see you in there!

—Adam Haritan

Foraging The Delicious Edible Cauliflower Mushroom

Before I share a brand-new video with you, I’d like to mention that my newest online course, Exploring Wild Ecosystems, will reopen for registration on Monday, September 23.

This online course is designed to strengthen your relationship to wild places by introducing you to fascinating terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. With a focus on the connections and communities that bind nature together, Exploring Wild Ecosystems will help you gain important ecological skills.

You can register here on Monday.

Speaking of connections, forests are teeming with connections of all kinds. Nothing in a forest exists in isolation.

Take the cauliflower mushroom, for instance.

This edible mushroom grows in association with certain trees. To find the cauliflower mushroom, it only makes sense to explore ecosystems where these trees grow.

During a recent hike, I discovered a cauliflower mushroom growing near a mature red oak. Sensing the connection, I started checking every oak in the forest. Within 30 minutes, I found two more cauliflower mushrooms — one of which I harvested and turned into a delicious meal.

Fortunately, I brought my camera along to document the experience. To learn more about this lovely edible mushroom, check out the brand-new video.

Thanks for reading and watching! If you want to develop ecological literacy and see how all the components within nature are connected, consider enrolling in Exploring Wild Ecosystems on Monday.

— Adam Haritan

Why I’ll Probably Never Eat This Mushroom

“Is it edible?”

This question constantly runs through the forager’s mind.

As it turns out, the answer isn’t always a simple yes or no, particularly regarding wild mushrooms.

Some mushrooms are choice edibles. Some mushrooms are toxic raw. Some mushrooms are toxic no matter how thoroughly you cook them.

But there’s another category of mushrooms: those that are no longer recommended for consumption even though field guides once listed them as edible.

Included in that latter category is a mushroom that grows in hemlock forests. This lilac-colored mushroom causes unpleasant symptoms in many people who consume it.

But not everyone experiences unpleasant symptoms, and in some cultures, this mushroom is considered undeniably edible.

Why is this the case? How can a mushroom poison some people and nourish others?

In this brand-new video, I share my thoughts.