Amateur Mycologists on the Trail at Fairy Stone State Park

As part of the 2012 Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference I was able to go on a Mushroom Ecology and ID Field Session at Fairy Stone State Park.  

I was very pleased to see the trail we were on, the "Oak-Hickory Trail" had the touch of the Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes Chapter (my chapter!)

I figured the least I could do since I was there with my Nikon was to take a few photos of people enjoying this trail to report back to our chapter. So here is my report...

VMN looking for mushrooms

The starting sign on the trail

Identifying mushrooms (Sept is a great month to find them!)

Like diamonds in the rough, a real treasure hunt

Slow down and look around to see these beauties

Rebecca Rader and one of the VMN inspecting a mushroom in the leaf litter

The leader of our field session was Rebecca Rader, who is the Executive Secretary of the North American Mycological Association and founder of the New River Valley Mushroom Club.  She has been Vice-President of the New River Valley Chapter of Master Naturalists, an educator with the Science Museum of Western VA, has worked with the USFS in Blacksburg, and volunteered with groups such as the Blue Ridge Discovery Center.  She enjoys sharing the fascinating world of mushrooms with people of all ages.

She recommended we go to the North American Mycological Association website to learn more about how Fungi can take you to new fascinating places! NAMA for short. Click here.

IF THIS SORT OF THING INTERESTS YOU AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM, CLICK HERE.