Foraging Journal 2021

I've been doing a few trips and walks around the southernmost portion of Vancouver Island. We still seem to be below the current mushroom frenzy going on just a short distance north (Port Renfrew - Vancouver lattitudes and up).

However, mushrooms are still popping up, and some interesting ones too.

Here I've assembled some photos of a few finds.

Of particular interest are the Wood Woolyfoot (left) or Marasmiellus peronatus (previously Gymnopus peronatus). This mushroom is a transplant from Europe and makes dense mats of mycelium, which I managed to capture in the picture. It's now quite common in southern BC forests.

I also got some pics of Phaeomarasmius erinaceus (below right). Apparently this mushroom is quite rare and pops up only after heavy rains. I had to get some help from Twitter identifying it because it wasn't in any of my books. I suspect that the classification isn't accurate though, being borrowed from European varieties.

We spent a few days camping in Cowichan Valley. It seems like this was the weekend that the fall rains really got started, so although it was wet the mushrooms didn't really have a chance to get going by the time we got there.

However, with that said, we did find a few interesting specimens (see below). We also found some very sad and confused looking lobster mushrooms.

We also found a grand total of three (3) small chanterelles. This was a little disappointing as people have started to find impressive hauls of these mushrooms around Port Renfrew and north, and the Cowichan Valley is usually pretty good for mushrooms.

Hopefully we'll get a chance to return later in the season.

We've been out a few times this month, once as far north as the Cowichan Valley. However, it seems that the drought has really taken its toll. One spot where we found bumper crops of lobster mushrooms the previous two years was barren, except for one rotten specimen.

We did find a few small rainbow chanterelles (sadly no pics), as well as a large and fresh dyer's polypore (bottom left) and velvet rollrim (bottom right). The velvet rollrims (also known as velvet-footed pax) were especially out in force.

Both of these mushrooms are great for the dye pot, and that's how we plan on using the few that we collected. There are reports of chicken of the woods, lobsters, and some chanterelles in some places.

To the left is a simple diagram that I made for a special project I'm working on 😉

Many of the local plants are suffering due to the drought. However, the invasive Himalayan blackberry seems to be doing okay.

In wetter years, it's common to lose a flush of berries to rot and mold once they get rained on. This year, we have the opposite problem, with many berries simply drying up on the vine.

On the other hand, thickets growing near a water source are doing quite well. So, of course, we made the best of it and managed to harvest two large buckets of high-quality berries in a relatively short amount of time. We then set about making some blackberry wine.

We've done this twice before, with mixed results. Our first attempt turned out well, while the second batch produced a watery wine that was prone to souring, and we still have bottles of both.

As it turns out, with some water, sugar, yeast, and some effort, you can produce more wine than you can drink (responsibly).

I'll post this year's recipe and brewing method over on our Patreon page soon (it's up!). And of course, stick around for updates on how it turns out.

Mountain Flowers of Vancouver Island

Last month we took a camping trip up the coast a short distance from Mount Washington, Vancouver Island's tallest peak.

While there, we took a drive up to a favourite spot of ours - Paradise Meadows on the western side of the mountain, the gateway to the Forbidden Plateau.

It was blazing hot and dry and we took a walk along the boardwalk trail. As hot and dry as it was, it was wildflower season up there, so we got some good photos of flowers.

See the pics below for some good examples, identified to the best of my abilities.

Hopefully we get a chance to visit again in the fall to pick some berries and see some of the weird and wonderful mushrooms growing at that altitude.

The bog blueberries are a particular favorite of mine. While their flowers are pretty, the berries manage to achieve a range of flavours, all from one plant, so you never know what you're going to get.

Thankfully, the rains have just come, so we'll try to get out and see some mushrooms soon. Cheers!

Things have been pretty quiet this spring on the mushroom front.

I've found a few oyster mushrooms, but haven't been able to get out and do a big search for morels. I checked the spot where I found some last year, but nothing, affirming what I already knew about morels being elusive.

I have been spending more time in the garden, and so I've decided to post some pretty spring flower pictures here. Some are garden varieties, other native.

Enjoy!

One of the undeniable signs of spring is the plants and flowers budding and sprouting up in every direction.

Trillium ovatum, or the Western Trillium (left) is one of the most iconic spring flowers we have here in British Columbia. They start off a brilliant white, but gradually turn pink and then purple as they mature. I've heard that this change is triggered by polination, carried out by ants, but I'm not sure.

Spring is also a great time to harvest fresh green edible plants. Below are two examples...

Bottom left: The still-furled shoots of young Lady ferns, known as fiddleheads. Be careful if you plan on harvesting these. First, they can be hard to identify. There are many fern varieties and some are thought to be toxic - so beware! Next, the edible varieties are not very abundant and grow in sensitive areas, so harvest sparingly if at all.

Bottom right: Stinging nettles. Again, there are some similar looking plants for the unexperienced and you should definitely use gloves when picking or handling these. They really do sting! Thankfully, the stinging effect goes away after cooking, and both fiddleheads and nettles are great for blanching as a healthy side or baking into savory dishes.