Here, at Stanfree Valley, we are very lucky to be acquainted to another brilliant group of people, who include expert instructors of survival, bushcraft, and the outdoors.
The interest came with a purchase of the “Bushcraft” magazine in 2018. Although nature trails and foraging were already in the mindset, reading this took the interest to a different level and in 2019, the first Bushcraft show was attended, soon after in 2022 and this year also. Tickets are already booked for next years show at Stanford Hall, a 3-day event of activities, survival skills, overnight camping, demonstrations, and talks – Brilliant!
So, back a few weekends ago, we adventured in the Oxfordshire woodlands to find, identify, and forage fungi. Well, only the definite eating mushrooms were consumed! It’s also amazing how, over history, fungi has helped man to combat infections (plasters for wounds) and it is clear some fungi offer medicinal values (dried to make teas).
During the autumn months, along the woodland floor, there seemed a bounty hidden beneath and over the leaf litter. I’ve never seen anything like it – seek and you shall find! The colours of some fungi seem to be pinched from fairy tales – of orange, of purple and pink. Notable in their individual textures, the shapes of some fungi mirror animals of the wood (staghorn fungus) and the smells range from aniseed, radish to almond!
So, a mushroom is just clearly not a mushroom 🍄 but a fruiting body of what lies beneath, a trail of threads in their millions! Precious and so responsive to change from our world.
Here displayed are some specimens including wood blewit, horse mushroom (agaricus), russula variety, tawny funnel, clouded agaric, and birch polypore (bracket fungus).
Woodland Ways gives a fantastic opportunity to find oneself with nature, with others, be immersed and seek those survival skills of our ancestor’s. We look forward to many more adventures with Jason’s team.
Love to you all from Stanfree Valley xxx
Stanfree Valley Preservation Group 