Description
September is high fungi season in the Trossachs, and this event is designed to make the most of it. Over the course of about 1.5 miles of easy walking over 3 hours we will explore the fascinating world of fungi. I’m delighted to be running this event in association with The Woodland Trust, who are increasingly recognising the important role that foraging can play in restoring the connection between humans and nature. 10% of ticket sales for this event go to The Woodland Trust.
Watch a video and read all about the work of the Woodland Trust at Glen Finglas here
Your host will be Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods. Mark is a passionate mycophile, wild gastronomer and professional wild food educator, who has been teaching about wild mushroom identification and edibility for over 25 years. Mark is a font of knowledge and enthusiasm on wild fungi, specialising in making this often daunting subject fun and accessible to novices, while providing solid foundations for a lifetime of discovery, enjoyment and worry-free wild eating. Mark writes widely on this subject and works closely with leading mycologists, landowner/conservation organisations such as The National Trust, Kew Gardens and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Biodiverse woodland, Glen Finglas. Image Credit: © Laurie Campbell/WTML
We will also be joined by The Woodland Trust’s ranger for Glen Finglas who will explain more about their work restoring native woodland and the importance of fungi in the process.
Check out Mark’s free online wild fungi guide here
Read, listen, watch more about Mark Williams and Galloway Wild Foods
Please note that while this date and location will be selected to maximise the potential range of fungi we encounter, it is not possible to guarantee what we will find.
Location: Near Glen Finglas Visitor Gateway, Brig o’ Turk, Callander, FH17 8HR. Exact meeting details will be emailed to ticket holders in the week before the event.
Date: Wednesday 14th September.
Start time: Arrive in time for a 1pm start
Finish time: Around 5.30pm
Cost: Adults £85 Children aged 12 to 16: £40
Expect: Up to 1.5 miles gentle walking on well made paths over 3.5 hours followed by and informal al-fresco wild mushroom themed tasting picnic. There will be wild treats and tasters to enjoy throughout.
Learn:
- The important roles fungi plays in nature
- How to go about identifying important families and species of fungi
- How to home in on the most rewarding edible species
- How to recognise dangerously poisonous species
- Medicinal and utilitarian uses
- Sustainable harvesting practices
- Preservation and cooking techniques
- Key resources for taking your personal learning forward
- Other autumn woodland wild foods
When time and weather allow, we lay out and label our finds to serve as a souvenir and aide-memoire of the afternoon’s discoveries.
Some of the finds from a previous foray. ©GallowayWildFoods.com
Eat/drink: I think it is important to bring the wild foods we encounter to life by not just talking about them, but by eating and drinking them. To this end, in addition to the cook-in at the end, I carry a very hefty bagful of lovingly prepared fungi-themed treats, tasters and tipples to share during the walk. These are both delicious and educational, and the walk is more like guided grazing, a gentle imbibing of the landscape, than a route march! The wild food tasting picnic afterwards serves to further demonstrate how fungi can be cooked and preserved, and as a social time to eat together and digest the afternoon’s discoveries with new friends. All dietary requirements can be catered for, provided you let me know when you book.
A typical autumnal wild food tasting picnic, individually packed in recycled and compostable boxes (Vegy/Vegan options available):
Chanterelle and parmesan tart, cep & laver pastry, garnished with ramson capers & pickled fairy ring & saffron milkcap mushrooms
Eight mushroom paté with salted ramson buds
Smoked egg coated with cep powder, dried fermented wild garlic powder & truffle paste
Hedgehog mushrooms and marsh samphire pickled with wild spices
Cep arancini.
Hot smoked duck & Venison salami with pickled chanterelles& pineapple weed, beetroot fermented with juniper and Sweet elderberry vinegar.
Wild garlic, hard Galloway goat’s cheese and hazelnut pesto with fermented wild garlic
Bring:
Essential: Stout footwear, weather-appropriate clothing, drinking water
Optional: A small basket or cloth bag, notebook, camera, fungi field guide if you have one. If you make any foraged delights at home and would like to share them with the group, please bring them along!
Galloway Wild Foods gift vouchers can be used to pay for this event – just apply the voucher code at checkout
