Mushroom Collecting for the SCMS Show

October 2018 Collection Instructions

Every autumn the Snohomish County Mycological Society presents a mushroom show to help educate people about the wonders of wild mushrooms. This monumental task can only be accomplished through the help of the SCMS membership.

Who: YOU and your friends and family.
What: Mushroom and fungus species collection for the show.
When: Collect mushrooms on Friday October 26th and Saturday October 27th, Bring mushrooms to Floral Hall (see below) on Saturday.
Where: Collect in your area and bring them to Floral Hall on Saturday, Oct. 27th between 9am to 5pm, the earlier the better. (The show is the next day on Sunday.)
at Forest Park- 802 E Mukilteo Blvd. in Everett, WA 98201.
Why: Our annual show is possible only through the interest and efforts of our club membership and helpful mushroom enthusiasts.

How: For the best identification and preservation, please follow these guidelines when collecting mushrooms and fungus specimens for our show.

• Collect the entire mushroom, including "roots" and subterranean structures beneath the soil. For identification reasons, it's best to include a few leaves, tree needles or grass to clue in the IDers as to the environment where the mushroom was picked.
• Ecology: To ensure the bountiful continuation of our natural resources, SCMS asks that you be respectful when collecting and leave your site in good order. Cover the holes, pick up your trash, and be as non-invasive as possible when collecting from nature.
• Russulas: If you know you have collected Russula mushrooms, make 1 fingernail scratch on the stem and bruise/brush the gills in one spot near the stem of one of the specimens. This speeds up the identification process for the IDers at the show.
• Fresh is Best! Collect your mushrooms and fungus within a couple of days of the show. Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight.
• Mist your mushrooms if they begin looking dry but don't wash or soak them. The inky cap families like Shaggy Mane are delicate and definitely need to be gathered on Friday or on Saturday morning.
• Keep your collections in groups and let us know the area where they were found. A note telling the altitude, area, or park the sample was collected in is also helpful.
• If possible, collect and group mushrooms of the same species that represent different stages of growth and maturity: baby buttons, prime adults.
• Protect the mushrooms in paper bags (white paper bags, if possible), wax paper, or foil. Plastic bags turn mushrooms to mush, so please avoid their use when collecting. White sandwich bags are great because they can give a more accurate spore print.
• If possible, keep the mushroom in the same orientation in which it grew. Tall mushroom can be placed gently into empty cartons or divided cardboard boxes. Keep small mushrooms safe from crushing by organizing them in recycled food containers.
• Bring us everything you collect, even if you think your mushrooms are too common to matter. You may have the only sample of that particular mushroom family. If you find something interesting - bring it!
You are important to the show, and so is your mushroom.

PLEASE HELP with various tasks, as described by our VP/show organizer. At the end of the show at 5pm, we will clean up and have a big potluck.

PLEASE JOIN US! Bring a dish or dessert to share plus a beverage, your utensils and a plate. Thank you, and hope to see you there!!!