What’s a foray?
A foray is just a gathering of friendly people who go out in the forest to look for mushrooms together. It is a chance to immerse yourself in the world of fungi, share knowledge, experiences, and foraging stories with fellow mushroom enthusiasts.
Where do forays take place?
Typically, forays begin at a designated location, most commonly a public park, where current NMA members meet before dispersing in smaller groups, some of which are led by experienced foragers or mycologists who share their knowledge about how to find mushrooms and other interesting fungi in the surrounding forest. After a couple of hours, everyone gathers back at the picnic shelter where they lay out their finds for identification, discussion, and posting on the citizen science platform iNaturalist.
Forays are great opportunity to make new friends, to learn all kinds of interesting, nerdy information about fungi, to share your own personal repository of fungal facts, or just enjoy a walk through the woods. Depending on the day, we might enjoy a potluck, bring our own lunches, or simply chat and laugh together.
It starts with you!
Our forays have evolved over time, thanks to the creative input and interests of our volunteers. We have been experimenting with a range of different programs. We are always experimenting with new formats and encourage all our members to participate in as many of these exciting events as possible. We always need enthusiastic volunteers to lead future forays. No special qualifications are required—just a friendly demeanor and a bit of organization.
As with everything we do at the NMA, volunteers make it happen! If you have been to a foray and enjoyed it and learned something from it, please return the favor of all those who helped you in the past and sign up to spread some foray love to a new group of budding mycologists and mushroom enthusiasts. To find out how you can get involved, reach out to our current Foray Coordinator here.