08/18/2026
🍄 Look, Learn & Leave It Growing 🍄
The first photo shows our Land Manager, Nicole, with an incredible Chicken of the Woods mushroom growing here at Hawthorn Hollow this past Friday. The second photo shows that same spot after the mushroom was foraged recently.
While we understand the excitement of finding an edible mushroom like Chicken of the Woods, foraging and harvesting are not permitted within the sanctuary. And there’s an important reason why.
Mushrooms are much more than something interesting growing along the trail. They are an important part of a healthy woodland ecosystem. Fungi help:
🍂 Break down fallen trees and organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.
🌳 Support trees and plants through underground fungal networks that help them access water and nutrients.
🐿️ Provide food and habitat for insects, wildlife, and other organisms.
🌱 Keep the forest ecosystem cycling and thriving in ways we often can’t see.
When mushrooms are removed, we also lose an opportunity for visitors, students, and future nature explorers to observe and learn from them in their natural environment.
Hawthorn Hollow is a sanctuary, a place where plants, fungi, wildlife, and natural processes are protected. When you discover something special here, we encourage you to take a photo, enjoy the find, and leave it for nature and the next visitor to experience.
📸 Take photos.
👀 Observe from the trail.
🍄 Leave mushrooms where they grow.
Thank you for helping us protect the sanctuary and everything that calls it home. 💚
