Mushrooms: fungi & forest health
Forest fungi are an indicator of ecosystem health. Harvest methods can have positive or negative impacts on forest and fungal health.
Mushroom harvesters acquire a unique knowledge of forest and fungal patterns which needs to become part of the larger pool of community and land manager knowledge.
Monitoring and communication
We employ good harvesters from the different ethnic groups as monitors to work together to monitor conditions on the ground and to work with their communities to define problems and suggested solutions. FAC facilitates communication with land managers, empowering harvester participation in the decision making process. Many skilled mushroom harvesters have recognized the opportunity for empowerment and have become involved in the program. Monitors help new and improperly trained pickers develop the skill of non destructive mushroom harvesting.
FAC began the Mushroom Project ten years ago as a way to address the problems of excessive impact on the forest from poor harvest technique and of complications between harvesters, community and land managers. There was a great need to address poor communication between the local community and traveling Asian pickers. We saw an opportunity to reduce the mounting tension between the two groups and preserve forest balance by developing a groundbreaking program. This innovative solution is so successful many other individuals and organizations have made mushroom monitoring programs in their own communities. The creator of the program received USDA recognition for “caring for the land and serving people”.
The program also works to establish communication between mushroom harvesters and the buyers, land managers and law enforcement they interact with. The goal as always is to create a sustained forest and sustained communities that sustain each other.
More mushroom resources:
Mushroom Picking...What makes a Good Harvest?
