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Mountain View News Saturday, February 8, 2025


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is the author of several books including “Self-Sufficient Home” 
and “How to Survive Anywhere.” He also leads wilderness classes every 
weekend. He can be reached at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]


EXPLORING THE WORLD OF FUNGI

INTRODUCTION TO MUSHROOMS

My serious pursuit of the natural world began before I entered high school. Of 
all the nat-ural sciences, I found mycology the most fascinating and mysterious. 
There were scant few experts that I could consult with. Furthermore, 
you couldn’t just go out and study a specific mushroom any day you wish, as you might with, 
say, an oak tree. Mushrooms oc-cur when conditions are right, in a somewhat unpredictable 
manner, and then they quick-ly decompose. 

So, in the early 1970s, I joined the L.A. Mycological Association 
to actively pursue my edu-cation of the mysterious world 
of fungi directly with experts, rather than books. I learned 
how to identify wild mushrooms in the field, and I learned 
how to cook the edible ones. I had some great mentors from 
the organization.

I was interested in mushrooms from the standpoint of food, 
though it was always im-pressed upon me to never eat any 
wild mushroom until I’ve taken the time to absolutely identify 
it. I had the opportunity to participate in the field to learn 
about the details of mushroom identification. Through our 
monthly meetings with LAMA, I was given insight into the 
taxonomy of mushrooms, and many of the fine details for 
keying out a mushroom to genus, and ideally to species. Fortunately 
today, we have the internet which can dra-matically 
speed up your learning process.

GETTING STARTED

If you are a complete beginner, I would suggest seeking out a 
group local to you where you can get some field experience. 
Locally, you should attend the annual L.A. Mush-room Association 
event on February 9, Sunday, at the L.A. County Arboretum 
from 9 to 4 p.m. This is an excellent way to see recently collected mushrooms and 
listen to lectures from experts. Even if you cannot attend Sunday's event, you should get to 
know this group. 

You can also search for field trips through local colleges and universities, through native plant 
organizations, and through general internet searches. There are many sources on-line for 
mushrooms identification. My favorite is MushroomExpert.com run by Michael Kuo.

FOOLPROOF FOUR

A good beginning to the study of mycology is the “foolproof four,” a term coined by Clyde 
Christensen in his “Common Edible Mushrooms” book. These are four edible mushrooms 
that are widespread, and easily identified. 

These are morels (Morchella spp), Puffballs, Inky caps, and Chicken of the woods.

These are not the only “easy” mushrooms to identify, but if you are a beginner, start there. 
Then learn the other common mushrooms in your area. There are many common wild 
mushrooms that are found nation-wide such as oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, and field 
mushrooms (Agaricus campestris).

CAVEAT

Mycology is a Science, and it requires a substantial amount of study and field work to be able 
to collect wild mushrooms and eat them without getting sick or dying. 

And in March of 2009, life-long mushroom hunter Angelo Crippa collected some mush-
rooms in the hills above Santa Barbara, California. He sautéed them, and ate them, and told 
his wife they were delicious. Unfortunately, rather than an edible species, he collected a close-
lookalike, Amanita ocreata, which is deadly. Even with hospital treatment, he sur-vived only 
7 days in what became a painful death.


NIGEL & SAHARA

NIGEL & SAHARA, siblings, age 10 mos. Nigel, all 
black, is the adventurous one, always eager to explore his 
surroundings. 

He’s happy to be held and cuddled—until he spots 
something intriguing that he just has to investigate! Sahara, brown tabby, started out shy 
but is blossoming into a confident and sweet little girl with gentle encouragement. 

Healthy, vetted, vaxed, fixed, & chipped—Ready to go! 

Apply at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/nigel--sahara.html

These two would love to continue their adventure together, bringing double the joy to 
their new home. Are you ready to welcome this precious pair into your life?


President of the L.A. Mushroom 
Association, Jess Starwood, shows 
an edible chanterelle. 

Photo by Nyerges


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