arstechnica.com
Inspired by pandemic-era hikes and an agroforestry class, the author and Eric Burkhart launched a project to study mushroom foraging in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic. Surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023 revealed that foragers in the region collect a diverse range of fungi, primarily for food and medicinal uses, and create communities to share knowledge. Over 800 harvesters were surveyed. Morels, chicken of the woods, and chanterelles are the most commonly harvested. Overall, they identified 160 species of wild mushrooms were harvested by participants. The research, published in Economic Botany, highlighted the prevalence and community aspects of mushroom foraging in the region.
