Children's Forays |
| At first the idea of mushroom and toadstool hunting for children may seem an appalling prospect to most parents, but it can be extremely rewarding and may indeed sow the all-important seeds of a future generation of fungus conservationists. The Association of British Fungus Groups has been proud to collaborate with the National Trust at Stourhead in Wiltshire over a number of years in running Saturday morning children's mushroom hunts. These events have gained enormous popularity and each year would-be young mushroomers have to be turned away because we put a strict limit on numbers and adhere to a clearly defined ratio of children to adult helpers. The adult assistants are all scrupulously vetted by the National Trust and parents leave their youngsters with us in full confidence. The ABFG junior mushroom hunts teach children from the age of six or seven the basics of countryside rules, the do's and dont's of foraying for and collecting fungi, and the rudiments of identification. They learn that very few fungi are dangerous and discover the fascinating range of shapes, textures, colours and smells that these remarkable life forms produce. A foray suddenly becomes a treasure hunt! In 2008 the Association is looking to extend this pioneering venture at Stourhead into other National Trust centres. If you feel that your children would enjoy mushroom hunting in company with others of similar age and under careful supervision, please contact either Hazel Malcolm at the ABFG or Ann Butler at Stourhead N.T., telephone: 01747 842012 |