Dupont  Forest - Lake Imaging Foray
June 25, 2011
Ginger Fisher, Leader 

Thirty six people and two intrepid dogs met in Dupont Forest Area at 10:00 AM to try their luck at finding mushrooms on the club’s first general foray of the season. Mycologist Jay Justice joined the group to help find and identify species.

Three groups headed out on the Ridgeline Trail (leader: Jackie Schieb), the Jim Branch Trail (leader: Charlotte Caplan), and the Holly Road Trail (leader: Ginger Fisher). All trails included mixed forest environments. The ground was moist after several recent rains, and the temperature ranged from the high 70’s to low 80’s. As this was the beginning of the mushroom season in this area, we weren’t sure how many species we would find.

Approximately 12 new members were in attendance, so the Holly Road Trail was designated an “Introduction to Foraying” trail. This enthusiastic and sharp-eyed group learned to spot, collect, bag, and look for identifying features of the mushrooms they found.

After about two hours of foraging, all groups returned to the Lake Imaging Picnic Area for lunch and identification. A surprising variety of species were collected, and Jay Justice and Charlotte Caplan, ably assisted by several others, were able to identify 69 species. Special finds included Boletus mahogonicolor Bessette, a recently described species previously reported only in Mississippi. Jay Justice has yet to confirm the identification.

Jay also informed us that the handsome rose-red and yellow boletes we have consistently identified as Boletus bicolor (and eaten) is almost certainly not B. bicolor (wrong smell, wrong reactions to reagents), but we couldn’t reach any other Identification. At least it isn’t the poisonous B. sensibilis.

During lunch, the group presented Jay Justice with a retirement present of two preserved mushrooms, crafted by Jackie Schieb, for his famous foray hat. Everyone enjoyed seeing old friends and making new friends as we ate lunch and reviewed the wide variety of fungi that covered the tables. We agreed that if the rains continue, this looks like the beginning of a good mushroom season.