How to Identify a Random Wild Mushroom

In this video Aaron Hilliard, a mycology educator and creator of Mushroom Wonderland, explains what you should do if you want to learn how to identify a random wild mushroom that you find. There are millions of types of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, so how does one ID a mushroom, where do you start? We will look at the fundamentals of mushroom morphology and the parts of a mushroom, we will learn how to take a spore print, we will learn how to use a dichotomous key in a mushroom ID guide, Aaron will show you how to use a microscope to look at the spores of a mushroom, and we will talk about how modern technology can be utilized to help you find the identity of that fungus.
Learning to ID mushrooms will make fungi in the wild so much more interesting and safe, if you are looking to find mushrooms to take home to the dinner table!
Mushrooms Demystified Mushroom Book- www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Demy...
Microscope like the one in the video- amzn.to/4cNmBIW
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We will not accept any responsibility for negligence or accidental ingestion of poisonous mushrooms or plants. These videos are not intended to be a definitive field guide, but rather a starting point to become familiar with habitat, Everyone is encouraged to do their own studies, acquire literature or internet resources to safely and confidently identify wild foods before they eat them. When eating a new wild mushroom, it is advised to start with only a small amount, and make sure that it is fresh and that it is cooked thoroughly. Some mushrooms do not agree with certain individuals, and this is typically discovered on a case-by-case basis. Even the most edible of mushrooms contain compounds that can be tough for the human digestive tract to handle. Some “edible” species have small amounts of certain toxins that will easily break down with cooking. Fungi contains a molecule known as chitin that is the same thing that makes the exoskeleton of shellfish so hard, and cannot be broken down by the human digestive system, so it is another good reason to thoroughly cook mushrooms. All the ideas expressed in the comments should be taken with a large grain of salt. I don’t think there is any other field of study or science that has more misinformation being shared so freely and boldly. Mushroom Wonderland and Aaron himself have no opinion and neither encourage nor discourage the use of mushrooms containing mind-altering compounds. These mushrooms contain powerful chemicals and should be treated with a high level of responsibility. Any video topics on the habitat, natural distribution, and morphological features of psychoactive mushrooms portrayed on this channel are purely for scientific and educational purposes.
Contact Aaron and Mushroom Wonderland at [e-mail] Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society- www.kitsapmushroom.org Puget Sound Mycological Society - www.psms.org North American Mycological Society- www.namyco.orgwww.pay...

[@jtrealfunny]

Mushrooms Demystified deserves a shout out for the authors great writing and sense of humor, the introduction is a really fun read.

[@Darkninjamole]

I asked a question about identification and dichotomous keys on your Early Summer Mushroom and Plant Identification video, and less than 2 weeks later you post this video! What a champ 💪 Thanks for all your videos Aaron and sharing your knowledge with us!

[@shaboingboing799]

Ive looked at a decent amount if guides and rhis is the first time this book mentioned, ty

[@whoe_whate8487]

diving into the world of microscopy! vid was super helpful!

[@geraldtaylor4572]

Great. That's really helpful. Had heard about keys but didn't know in which books to find them.

[@billy_og]

Great video regarding keys and scope. Thx!

[@catherinehoward8128]

I think that was pretty good picture work of the spores with your camera. I work in a microbiology lab in a hospital and have taken pictures through the microscope eyepiece with my phone. It is hard!

[@DJKurdziolek]

Great video!

[@user-go3eb8ug9x]

Great vid, thank you for taking us through the id process.

[@earthyboheme2719]

Thank you for this video. I'm very excited to start identifying mushrooms with these tips! Love your channel and passion for mushrooms. 🤌🏿

[@Hector-vx5yc]

Hi Aaron! I understand your putting on a class at Olympic college in kitsap county, is it specific to kitsap? There is an Olympic college in mason county, Shelton, would there be any possibility of virtual through the college? I’m trying to plan ahead to see if it would work. Love your channel and content, nicely done brother Aaron 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👊🏿

[@mushroomwonderland1]

@@Hector-vx5yc Yes I will start teaching some introductory mycology courses at Olympic College in a couple of weeks, there will also be some offered in the fall quarter. Right now it's just live, no hybrid, as I don't want the technical side of things to distract from the people who want to be there in person hands on. Come join!

[@elenaolena9484]

Thank you 😊

[@shaboingboing799]

Ty

[@ElevatedAdventure]

I’ve posted on the Reddit thread mushroom ID and there’s some really smart people there you just have to weed out the wrong answers

[@lifeonfilm65]

Good one, very useful vid during this off season moment.

[@Acceleratedpayloads]

I still see a new fungus every time I go to my local woods. I just started. Is this the off season?

[@whoe_whate8487]

@@Acceleratedpayloads Well, depends where you live. Typically two big mushroom fruiting "seasons": one in the spring (March through May (give or take)), one in the fall (September through November, sometimes stretching far into winter). Some mushrooms also fruit in the summer after it rains.

[@gardengatesopen]

It's very nice to have good ID books recommended by someone knowledgeable, such as yourself.
Especially now that there are fake books out there. I just wouldn't know which book was the real deal otherwise!

[@user-rk5df7ke9g]

What fake books that are printed do you speak of…? I don’t think they exist. Maybe spend more time reading your info rather than watching it. You’ll get more legitimate information.

[@gardengatesopen]

@user-rk5df7ke9g
Actually, I DID read.
Maybe YOU should go READ IT FOR YOURSELF, and not assume you are omnipotent.
Copy Cat Books
Fake Books
Call it what you want.
They're out there now.
It simply means there is now the added element of AI produced books which usually has false, or misleading information, bcuz they take short cuts, and so they don't always have proper information.
When it comes to important reference books such as mushroom ID, we wouldn't want false information!
THAT could be deadly!!
I don't know if any exist (yet) for mushroom ID, but I DO KNOW there are other genre where they exist.
It IS a thing now.
Go check for yourself!
And so, I would only want reference books which are known to be "actual books" generated by the author and NOT generated by anyone simply trying to make a quick buck.
BTW - one thing to always look closely at is the spelling of the author's name.
With the fakery, they often misspell it.
Title too.
Maybe that's how they get away with it?

[@mikexibalbafarms4169]

Entoloma?

[@nofunclub]

Mushroom books don't have cameras