Tag: Wild Foodism
Advice On Finding Morel Mushrooms
“Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear.”
To the best of my knowledge, Lao Tzu wasn’t a mycologist, but his famous text — the Tao Te Ching — could be considered a treatise on how to find morel mushrooms.
Reading the quote above, we are reminded that our desperation to find morels can complicate our search. A desperate mind, after all, is a muddied mind. A calm mind, on the other hand, is a clarified mind that can see what’s directly in front of it (in this case, a morel mushroom).
Here’s another quote from chapter 55: “The master never expects results; thus the master is never disappointed.”
Disappointment afflicts many foragers who struggle to find morels. Such disappointment can lead to sadness, anger, and frustration. It’s better to appreciate the sunshine, fresh air, and singing birds than to feel like the morel gods have cursed us.
Lao Tzu was a wise man. His words were very powerful. My words will never be as eloquent as his, but I still feel obligated to share some of my own advice on finding morel mushrooms.
What skills must we develop? Where do we look? How do we deal with FOMO (the fear of missing out)?
In a brand new video, I summarize my thoughts. You can watch the video here.
And in case you missed the announcement, I’m releasing a new online course in May. Exploring Wild Ecosystems is designed to improve your knowledge of ecology by introducing you to fascinating ecosystems — including alvars, barrens, bogs, dunes, fens, glades, savannas, vernal pools, and others!
To receive updates, please consider joining the notification list.
Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!
— Adam Haritan
HSA Webinar: Notable Native Ethnopharmacology
Exploring Wild Ecosystems — New online course coming this spring!
There’s a hidden benefit to joining nature clubs that few people discuss. Once gained, this benefit can be wasted if you don’t take action on it. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain.
Early on, I realized that an easy way to learn mushrooms is to join a mushroom club. An easy way to learn plants is to join a botanical club. This is true for nearly any skill that can be taught. Join an organization and participate in its activities.
This sounds pretty obvious, but what is the hidden benefit that I mentioned earlier?
The hidden benefit is this: Nature clubs often take you to places that you’ve never been to before. A botanical club might botanize a rare northern white-cedar fen. A mushroom club might explore a remote red spruce forest.
The reason I call it a “hidden” benefit is this: many nature clubs never mention it. In fact, some nature clubs never draw attention to the place itself. Instead, they devote their attention solely to an isolated group of organisms that inhabit the place.
Now of course, organisms are vital components of a place, and we must learn them. But the place itself, and the relationships that build the place, are things we also must learn if we are to improve our ecological literacy.
What is this place? Why does it look like this? Who is responsible for its existence? How is this place any different from other places with similar names?
If we don’t ask these questions, we fail to see how any of its organisms are connected. If we don’t see the connections, we don’t see the place. If we don’t see the place, we act in strange ways — almost like hungry people who taste only ingredients, but not the meal itself.
All this to say, I decided to bring awareness to this issue by creating a new online course devoted to this topic. Exploring Wild Ecosystems is an educational resource I spent all of 2023 creating. I am excited to announce that it will be released in May.
If you want to improve your ecological literacy while studying fascinating ecosystems (alvars, barrens, bogs, glades, prairies, swamps, and more), consider joining the notification list.
I’ll have more information to share in the upcoming weeks.
Thanks for your support!
—Adam Haritan
Two Winter Opportunities To Learn Valuable Nature Skills
Greetings,
In anticipation of the winter season, I am excited to let you know that the Learn Your Land online courses are currently open for enrollment.
Additionally, both courses are on sale this week ($100 off each course).
If you are interested in learning how to forage mushrooms, 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 knowledge of trees, consider enrolling in Trees In All Seasons. This online course teaches you how to identify over 100 trees in every season. If you want to develop the confidence to be able to look at a tree and say, “That’s black spruce,” or “That’s sourwood,” or “That’s 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 are on sale ($100 off each online course) for one week only — from today until Monday, December 18.
You can register and learn more about the courses here.
If you have any questions, please reply to this email and a response will be given shortly.
Remember, this sale expires on December 18th. Enroll today and let your winter season be filled with learning, adventure, and connection!
Thank you!
—Adam Haritan
Finding A Decent-Sized American Chestnut Tree
It’s always a good day when I find an American chestnut tree. It’s an even better day when I find an American chestnut tree of a decent size.
Admittedly, I mostly feel this way because American chestnut isn’t an incredibly common species where I live.
A fungal disease known as chestnut blight kills most American chestnuts. The fungus cuts off the flow of water and nutrients within trees. Starved of nutrients, the trunks of American chestnuts die.
But the roots remain alive. They give rise to sprouts which eventually become new trunks. Sometimes these trunks live for many years, and sometimes I find them in the woods.
Such was the case a few days ago when I encountered a living American chestnut by chance. More than just a stump sprout, this particular American chestnut was a decent-sized tree.
Needless to say, I was excited. I promptly decided to capture the experience on film to show you what an American chestnut looks like in the autumn season.
You can watch the very short video here.
Speaking of decent-sized organisms, I recently found a large enoki mushroom. In fact, it was the largest enoki mushroom I’ve ever seen. To view a short video on that experience, check out the Learn Your Land Instagram and Facebook pages.
Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!
— Adam Haritan
Samhain Treats: Rowan Berry Honey Caramels
Identifying Trees Without Looking Up
Conventional ways of doing things aren’t always the most effective ways of doing things.
Take tree identification, for instance.
We might think that we have to strain our necks in order to identify trees. If we don’t look up into the canopy, how else are we supposed to learn?
We can look down instead.
When we look down at the forest floor, we discover clues. After analyzing these clues, we can easily determine which trees are growing nearby — without even looking up.
During a recent walk, I attempted to identify trees based on what I observed beneath my feet. I brought my camera along to show you just how effective (and fun!) such an exercise can be.
If you want to learn how to identify trees without looking up, check out the new video!
I also recently posted a new video in which I discuss an edible mushroom known as hen-of-the-woods. To view that video, check out the Learn Your Land Instagram and Facebook pages.
Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!
— Adam Haritan
Paths I Walk 
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