Mushroom safety first

To ensure a safe and sustainable experience, it is important for mushroom pickers to have a basic knowledge of mushroom identification. While some mushrooms are edible, others can be poisonous and dangerous if consumed, making professional guidance necessary.

Li Jin, a research assistant at Kunming Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a mushroom picking expert who is helping this project.

Li said that wild mushrooms are one of the important industries in Yunnan, and an increasing number of people are starting to experience wild mushrooms by collecting them in the wild. Different species of mushroom are often similar in color, shape, and odor, so it is easy for inexperienced nonprofessionals to confuse them. This can lead to cases of unintentional poisonous mushroom consumption.

"My job is to disseminate relevant knowledge about wild mushrooms, including how to find them in the wild, how to collect them after they are found, how to identify their edibility and toxicity, and introduce different types of wild mushrooms to tourists. This will allow travelers to further understand and recognize advancements in research related to large fungi, improve their science literacy, and promote the development of mushroom collection activities," Li added.

Li Shan, a 40-year-old woman and guide for the mushroom picking project, is responsible for path planning, team member safety, schedule management, and assisting experts with mushroom introductions.

According to Li, who has four years of tourism experience, mushroom picking provides a unique opportunity to get close to nature by applying knowledge into practice. The process of searching for mushrooms is full of surprises and rewards.

"Children do not pick randomly. They can recognize different mushrooms and apply the knowledge we taught them to searching. They also make friends and take care of each other, and share their experience with their parents. It's a good opportunity for their growth," she added.

Considering the wild mushroom growth cycle, the conditions of the terrain at the destination, and availability of professional guides, Xu limited the number of tourists. They are required to wear gloves when collecting mushrooms to avoid touching food after direct contact with them.

Additionally, they need to follow their guide to avoid getting lost in the forest. Trash should be packed and taken away with them, rather than left in the wild.

"Next year, we will upgrade the routes to make them more educational and funny, give tourists more destination options, and develop products suitable for different customer groups. We will expand to other cities and prefectures, and high-end routes will be developed for picking tricholoma matsutake," Xu added.