Mushrooms at Merrymeeting: A Fungi Foray set for Saturday, October 13

Courtesy photo of trip leader Jason Karakehian. Fungi photos by Lorrie Drake, Jenn McKown and Virginia Long.On behalf of the Partnership for Birch Ridge Community Forest, MMRG is holding a guided mushrooming walk on private property in New Durham on Saturday, October 13, from 11 am to 3 pm. The public is invited to join in ‘Mushrooms at Merrymeeting: A Fungi Foray’, the second in a series of outreach activities designed to inform the community about the 2,000+ acre proposed Birch Ridge Community Forest.  The Partnership for Birch Ridge Community Forest includes Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG), Southeast Land Trust (SELT) and Merrymeeting Lake Association (MMLA). More information about Birch Ridge Community Forest and Partnership is available at www.seltnh.org/birchridge.The mushroom foray will take place on 80+ wooded acres on the southern slopes of Mount Caverly. The property has lakeshore frontage on Merrymeeting Lake with views of Birch Ridge and the surrounding hills that are part of the proposed Community Forest. Away from the lake, there is good fungal habitat and several trails through the woods, although the footing can be rock-strewn and uneven in places.Mushroom expert Jason Karakehian will lead the event. An amateur mycologist for nearly a decade, Karakehian is currently a Masters degree candidate in biology at Harvard Extension School, and plans to earn a PhD in mycology, the scientific study of fungi. He has traveled to Canada and as far as Mozambique to collect fungi samples. Karakehian’s interests are also wide ranging, including the fungi related to the tar leaf spot disease of Norway maple trees and in the history of mycology in America.After an introduction to the Birch Ridge Community Forest project by Partnership representatives, Karakehian will provide suggestions on what to look for and give instructions on proper fungi collection techniques. Participants will then scatter and gather their own fungi, then reconvene for show-and-tell and an impromptu lecture on what they have found. Beginners may follow Karakehian to ask questions and get help. This foray will focus on identifying fungi, their seasonality, their various roles in the ecosystem, and how clear cuts, such as on portions of Birch Ridge, affect forest mushrooms and fungi. Fungi that are poisonous and those of culinary value will also be discussed, as well as general guidelines for safe and dirt-free collecting for the table.The Fungi Foray will take place from 11 am to 2 pm. Participants are requested to bring a sharp knife for collecting and a butter knife or spoon for digging, a hand-lens or magnifying glass, paper bags, a marker, and a basket, box-lid or paper bag for carrying collections, and a snack or picnic lunch. Long pants and sturdy shoes are mandatory. The event will take place rain or shine, unless a severe storm is expected, in which case it will be held from 1 to 4 pm on Sunday, October 14.  All are welcome but pre-registration is required by 6 pm on Thursday, October 10. For directions and to register, call MMRG Education Coordinator Kari Lygren at (603) 978-7125 or email info@mmrgnh.org. Pets are not allowed. There is no charge, but families are encouraged to make a $5.00 donation that will go towards MMRG’s educational outreach program.The Partnership for Birch Ridge Community Forest envisions Birch Ridge as a community forest, managed to promote conservation, community, and economic development through community participation in the management of the land.  A foliage hike will be held later this fall as well other outings this coming winter to give the public further opportunities to see the property. To solicit public input on best uses of the land, there will be a Community Visioning Session and Concurrent Children’s Program at 6 pm on Thursday, November 1 in New Durham.The Partnership is currently raising funds to complete the purchase of the property and steward it forever. Donations to save and steward Birch Ridge Community Forest may be made to any of the three partner organizations: Moose Mountains Regional Greenways online at www.mmrgnh.org/donate/ or by mail to MMRG, PO Box 191, Union, NH 03887; Southeast Land Trust online at www.seltnh.org/birchridge or by mail to SELT, PO Box 675, Exeter, NH 03833; Merrymeeting Lake Association online at http://mmlake.org/ or by mail to MMLA, PO Box 468, New Durham, NH 03855.