Private Mushroom Walks
Book a Mushroom Walk Leader by Location
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What is a Private Mushroom Walk?
A two-hour mushroom walk with an experienced mycology educator to learn about fungi you find in the forest. We can delve deep into a particular subject of your choice or create an engaging experience for your group.
Private walks can be held on your land or a nearby woods that you would like to explore. If you are unsure of a location, we can help chose a place to walk.
We will bring bags, baskets, books, and magnifiers that we use to find, photograph, sustainably harvest, and identify the mushrooms on your land or designated location. Are you interested to learn which mushrooms are edible or medicinal, and how to prepare them? Would you like to know about the underground network that binds your forest together? Would you like to cultivate mushrooms indoors or outdoors? We will cover these subjects and more. We can talk about the ecological value, historic uses, scientific importance, and future potential of the fungi we find. We can delve deep into a particular subject of your choice or create an engaging and educational experience for you and your friends.
What is the cost?
2 Hours - $225-425 (depending on the walk leader) for 1 to 8 people of any age. $20 for each additional person. Maximum of 20 people. There may be an additional mileage charge. Special pricing/bartering may be available to educators.
Who should schedule a mushroom event?
Anyone who is interested in fungi! People who have booked private walks include farmers, home-school groups, neighbors with families, outdoor guides, party-throwing hipsters, famous actors, land owners, garden clubs, mushroom clubs, libraries, nature centers, foodies, permaculture groups, nature photographers, scientists, hippies, hobbyists, & homesteaders.
We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all, regardless of gender, identity, age, race, health status, national origin, relationship status, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion.
Your Private Mushroom Walk Leaders:
John Michelotti
John Michelotti is the founder of Catskill Fungi, which empowers people through outdoor educational classes, cultivation courses, mushroom art, and health extracts made from mushrooms foraged and grown on and around the family farm in the Catskill Mountains. John is former President of the Mid-Hudson Mycological Association (MHMA), where he co-founded the Catskill Regional Mycoflora Project as well as the Gary Lincoff Memorial Scholarship. He serves as Medicinal Mushroom Committee Chair and is a Poison Control Consultant for the North American Mycological Association. He was chosen by the Catskill Center as a "Steward of the Catskills" for his contribution to the environment. He served on the Mushroom Advisory Panel for Certified Naturally Grown to develop ecological standards in mushroom production. John has presented at the New York Botanical Gardens, Telluride Mushroom Festival, National Mushroom Festivals, Colleges, and other events around the country. His goal is to educate and inspire people to work with fungi to improve their health, communities, and the environment.
Above photo by David Rainbird
Gabriela D'Elia
Gabriela D'Elia is Director of Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDiS), Vice President for Mushroom Society of Utah, Project Leader for Northern Utah Funga FunDiS local project, and founder of Moon Mushrooms. She holds a B.A. in fungal ecology and has taught about macrofungi, fungal ecology, cultivation, mushroom medicine, and fungal philosophy. She is interested in how mycophiles can impact how fungi are understood and protected through community science organization. She also finds value in exploring fungi through observation, imagination, and symbolism.
Erwin Karl
Erwin Karl is a farmer, mycologist and educator who has led walks and workshops for Catskill Fungi and Mid Hudson Mycological Association. He serves as site manager at the CycleX farm in Andes, NY where he has been involved in building maintenance, construction and agriculture for more than a decade. His projects in mycology, permaculture, beekeeping, canning, fermentation and wildcrafting build upon pursuits cultivated while growing up in a family that grew produce and kept livestock. He shares his interests by co-hosting the Farm Hour on WIOX (91.3 FM), writing plays about the Catskills for Preserve Players, and volunteering at the Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve.
Aubrey Carter
Aubrey graduated from Indiana University in 2016 with a BS in Biology. He has worked at several different ecological institutions in and around the NYC area, including the Central Park Conservancy, the Westchester Land Trust, the Stamford Land Conservation Trust, and Sleepy Cat Farm. Currently the Assistant Ecological Manager at Manitou Point Preserve near Garrison, NY, Aubrey became deeply fascinated with fungi after reading Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, and has since devoted much of his life to cultivating that curiosity. Aubrey publishes a newsletter every Monday, entitled 'Mushroom Monday', which features photos and a profile of a different mushroom he has found throughout his travels. All archived posts can be read on mushroom-monday.com. He also leads public and private mushroom walks in Central Park, and is an active member in the New York Mycological Society. After five years in NYC, Aubrey has recently settled in Putnam Valley, NY and is spreading his mycelium in this fungal friendly part of the state.
