About the Mushrooms in Orange County

I wish that I had had the time in February to write about the various mushrooms in our hills and parks that popped up during the rains of February. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Times covered it to some degree on February 4, 2009, mentioning the Wild Mushroom Walk led by Greg Miller that took place at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach (read article HERE).

There are definitely some interesting points and ideas to take into consideration, where mushrooms are concerned. Take this excerpt from the LA Times's article:

Miller estimates that hundreds of species grow in Orange County, including at least 30 at the Environmental Nature Center alone. He knows of only one other place -- the Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy in southern Orange County -- that hosts organized mushroom walks, weather permitting.

"Any place that has good vegetation and rainfall is good for mushrooms," he said.

Although some mushrooms have hallucinogenic effects, Miller said, most hunters are in it for the taste.

Yet looks can be deceiving. Some species are "edible if you like eating wood," he said. And others, when ingested, cause a slow and agonizing death.

For that reason, the biologist urges inexperienced mushroom hunters to get help from experts and for experts to exercise care.

A more recent article in the LA Times, dating March 12, 2009, shows just how dangerous eating our wild mushrooms can be, when one does not correctly identify them: "Man, 82, Dies From Eating Wild Mushrooms" CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE. The article notes that,

This year's relatively wet winter has produced a bumper crop of mushrooms, both edible and toxic, health experts say.

Illness caused by eating poisonous mushrooms is not unusual. In California last year, 895 people were sickened by mushrooms, health officials say. Of those, five had major health problems, such as liver failure leading to coma, liver transplant or renal failure requiring dialysis. One died. Most cases result in mild symptoms such as dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps, according to officials at the California Poison Control System.

The article goes on to explain how toxic and non-toxic mushrooms can often look alike, and how it is often exceedingly difficult, even for a well-versed mushroom connoisseur, to correctly identify them. Among the good bits of advice one finds in the article: never take the opinion of another amateur as confirmation of a mushroom's toxicity, and always make sure to consult with a true mushroom expert before nibbling away.

So what is the best way to appreciate our local mushrooms, after a rainy day, or along moist areas of our trails? Snap a picture of them, sit down next to them and draw them with colored pencils, write about them, see how they add to the beauty of our natural landscapes - and leave them right where they are, planted in the earth, so that the natural habitat can take care of them!