Last week the Almanac saw a lot of talk about mushrooms – Steve Smith said they seem to be popping up in larger numbers than usual – Marilyn Stone wondered what factors affect mushroom numbers – and Amber Kleinman asked whether it’s possible to grow puffballs in a yard.
The field of Mycology - the biological study of fungi - is perhaps made up of just as many enthusiastic hobbyists as so-called "experts." Foraging for mushrooms is for many Coloradans a revered pastime, and local wisdom tends to be passed from friend to friend, very much in the spirit of the Almanac. With that in mind, I decided to sit down for a casual chat with one local mushroom "guru" and wildcrafting enthusiast Ryan Warwick.