Time to start mushroom hunting

Summer is coming to an end and Autumn is near, it’s a time of year when the days turn shorter and colder and the leaves in the trees glisten with the colors of the rainbow.
The forests in Warmia and Mazury occupy more than 700 thousand hectares, which makes up for more than 8% of the country’s forest land.

Mushroom hunting is undoubtedly a “national sport”, very firmly rooted in the culture and culinary heritage of Warmia and Mazury. The amount of types of large-fruited mushrooms (visible to the naked eye) is very rich in the region and estimated at about 5 thousand species, including approx. 1.5 thousand edible mushrooms.

Among the favorite species found in our forests are: penny bun, the commonly known chanterelle, slippery jack (sticky bun), birch bolete or the parasol mushroom.

Mushroom hunter codex

It is important to remember a few important rules when going to the forest

• don’t collect mushrooms in animal habitats and young forests up to 4 meters,
• twist the mushrooms out of the bedding or cut off with a knife right next to the soil and collect them in a basket or bucket to prevent scalding,
• place into the basket only the mushrooms which you are familiar with and only as many as you are able to then process.
• don’t destroy the mushrooms, which you don’t recognize, as they are a very important part of the forest ecosystem,
• dress appropriately for going to the forest, to minimize the risk of tick bites. That means, wearing long trousers, sweatshirts, jackets and covering shoes.

Finally, let’s remember that we only drive with our cars in areas marked with a parking sign. Entering the forest by car in an unauthorized place is an offence.