Ethical Forager

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Wild edible Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushroom, Grifola frondosa, taking advantage of the limited precipitation we’ve b...
09/30/2025

Wild edible Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushroom, Grifola frondosa, taking advantage of the limited precipitation we’ve been afforded. It’s interesting to compare the differences in locations where they are successful and not yet opportune. Foraging is also about unraveling the subtle reasons why: why fruit now, why fruit there? Slowing down to take the time to ask, take notes and visual cues from the landscape. We owe it to Nature to learn the language.

There are more Hens coming. This batch was at the prime state I prefer. Bright white in the pores. Clean, yet to become the shelter of other critters from the elements, or found by the slugs of noteworthy size lurking about.

I apologize for having gone quiet from the posting for a bit. Much of the time I prefer to leave the phone behind. I aim to share more this season as I appreciate our community. I also have some event announcements coming up. Stay tuned. 🍁
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Wild edible Resinous Polypore, Ischnoderma resinosum. Quite plentiful this autumn, I’m always keeping an eye out for the...
12/16/2024

Wild edible Resinous Polypore, Ischnoderma resinosum. Quite plentiful this autumn, I’m always keeping an eye out for the tenderest fruiting, still white and soft to the touch throughout. Chances are that if you see one there may be more on the way, and you may spot them on other parts of the tree in the form of bulbous buds, exciting to the patient forager with a good memory.

Resinous polypores get their name from the tendency to exhibit guttation, or release excess moisture through their pores, often amber in color reminiscent of resin.
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Wild medicinal Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis (Piptoporus) betulina (betulinus). These little brackets can get very large, b...
12/15/2024

Wild medicinal Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis (Piptoporus) betulina (betulinus). These little brackets can get very large, but I prefer to harvest them when they are fresh, small and still soft throughout, with bright white pores underneath, when their medicinal content is most concentrated and workable. The tea or tincture can serve as an anti-inflammatory, with additional antibiotic and antiviral functions still being investigated. Like Chaga, Inonotus obliquus, it can pull betulin from the Birch, and its triterpenes (which can only be released at over 220 degrees) are being studied in anti-cancer research.
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Chicken in the evening… wild edible Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus. No signs of slowing down, especially wi...
10/15/2024

Chicken in the evening… wild edible Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus. No signs of slowing down, especially with a little more rain in the forecast this week. Also finding more prime quality resinous polypores this season than past. We shall see what else is in store as the season progresses.
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Thank you to Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center for another tremendous Wild Mushroom Festival! It’s been an honor to be h...
10/06/2024

Thank you to Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center for another tremendous Wild Mushroom Festival! It’s been an honor to be hosted at this event for over a decade and watch it grow from humble fungal beginnings at the Nature Center to its latest iteration this weekend at Deans Mill Farm. Great to share experiences and catch up with friends and make new ones… a perfect venue for the next chapter of the fest. Looking forward to many more! 🍄‍🟫 - Keith M. Cowley, Ethical Forager (10/5/24)

Mushroom Mindfulness workshop with Keith Cowley, the Ethical Forager at Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Wild Mushroom ...
10/04/2024

Mushroom Mindfulness workshop with Keith Cowley, the Ethical Forager at Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Wild Mushroom Festival! This Saturday October 5th at Deans Mill Farm in Stonington, CT!

Mushroom Mindfulness: Foraging Ethics and Awareness Practices for a Sustainable Experience

“Explore a mindful perspective about the delicate connections in our ecosystem and our impact as wild food foragers.”

Presenter: Keith Cowley, Ethical Forager
• IG:
• Lifelong wild food forager, mindfulness educator, author of “Environmental Connection” and ”Body As Teacher, Nature As Preacher”
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About Wild Mushroom Festival:

Learn about mushroom hunting and identification through woodland walks and talks with naturalists, foragers, and mushroom experts. Expand your knowledge at the mushroom identification table while exploring tastes of mushroom-themed food and drink from local chefs.

And enjoy browsing the expanded Mushroom Marketplace, with artists, mycologists, foragers, crafters, growers, and chefs offering items for sale, and the Fantastic Fungi door prize drawing, featuring a curated collection of tools, artwork, jewelry, clothing and growing supplies.

Entry begins promptly at 12:30 pm and the festival runs until 4:30 pm. Advanced ticket purchase is required; the festival is expected to sell out before October 5.

For tickets and info visit: DPNC.org/mushroom
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Harvesting wild edible Belly-Button Hedgehog Mushrooms, Hydnum umbilicatum, one of my favorite fall edibles! Not all mus...
10/02/2024

Harvesting wild edible Belly-Button Hedgehog Mushrooms, Hydnum umbilicatum, one of my favorite fall edibles! Not all mushrooms have gills or traditional pores. Some have teeth! The Belly Button Hedgehog is smaller than Hydnum repandum and has a notable depression in the center of its cap. It’s not unusual to spot these near my black trumpet spots at this time of year where the landscape grades down towards the stream bordered by sphagnum. PS that’s Pipit my whippet!
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Looking like a clump of long white animal hair, it’s actually a Spotted Apatelodes Moth Caterpillar, Apatelodes torrefac...
09/10/2024

Looking like a clump of long white animal hair, it’s actually a Spotted Apatelodes Moth Caterpillar, Apatelodes torrefacta! Sometimes I use hair as sign on briars and other plants to track deer and other woodland residents, so I spot these caterpillars from time to time. Unlike the more common Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Lophocampa caryae, the hairs on this caterpillar will not sting or irritate your skin if you make accidental contact with them. They are in the American Silkworm family with Apate being from the Greek “deceitful” and lodes meaning “veins”, describing this family of moth’s wild color patterns and unusual shape.
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Wild edible Chicken of the Woods mushroom, Laetiporus sulphureus, in ideal vibrant color and luscious texture! This is t...
09/04/2024

Wild edible Chicken of the Woods mushroom, Laetiporus sulphureus, in ideal vibrant color and luscious texture! This is the condition I prefer to harvest for certain meals. They should be soft and firm to the touch and not at all brittle. This is one of the first species I teach about in my region since it is relatively foolproof, spans multiple seasons, and is a culinarily diverse pleasant edible for first timers.
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1189 Pequot Trail
Stonington, CT
06378

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