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RE: The Amateur Mycologist #32 - Hypholoma fasciculare - Sulfur Tufts - Plus Practical Safety Advice For Mushroom Foragers
I did a series of nature identification posts a while back, and while I was happy to take a shot at identifying any plant, animal, or rock, I took your lead and was extremely conservative about fungi identifications- if there was any doubt in my mind I'd refuse to identify it, and I always warned people not to take my word for it. (I think I only ever got one, though, and it wasn't even a mushroom.) I'm good at amateur IDing stuff, but I am still an amateur at everything but rocks.
When i first started the blog I had disclaimers but not as boldly and unequivocally as i do now. At the time I was worried they might detract from readership. And maybe I was right - but I don't care. Safety really needs to come first, which is the same reason I almost never discuss edibility except to make a point about safety as i've done here. End of the day, I am an amateur in every sense of the word - and I'm not shy about it, or my ability to make mistakes - which is why NO ONE should be making edibility or foraging decisions on my posts, unless it encourages you NOT to forage.
The only way to learn with the degree of security necessary to safely and consistently forage for food is with large informed groups and/or professionals. My primarily auto-didact studies mean I never eat my wild finds, even if I'm very comfortable with my ID. I encourage everyone to hold themselves to the same standards.
Exactly. Despite the many people who think you can learn anything off of the internet, some things can ONLY be learned through hands on training by experts and field experience. In addition, the google mindset, for all its advantages, has the effect of badly devaluing metis, local knowledge.
VERY WISE ♦♦ Good advice to people ♦♦ Hope Everybody reads THIS !
Major Upvote (I did), in the HOPE people WILL READ THIS .