VPR's Robert Resnik, one of Vermont's foremost wild mushroom experts, shares his philosophical approach to learning about mushrooms in this Summer School session.
"I've been an amateur mushroom hunter for almost 30 years," Resnik says.
"I've managed to not poison myself or any of my family or friends in that time period," he jests, but collecting wild edible mushrooms can be dangerous.
Resnik points out that there's really no safety net once you've put that mushroom into your mouth.
"You don't eat a wild mushroom for the first time unless you've shown it to someobdy that really knows what they're doing and said, 'Is this really what I think it is?'"
Resnik says he once studied the same small plot of woods every day for the whole growing season to see how the landscape changed. It gave him a greater appreciation of the ways dew and sunlight and wind can change what is growing there from week to week.
Being cautious and soliciting expert advice is paramount for the novice mushroom hunter. But Resnik says the other main component is to relax and have fun!
