
Mushroom Foraging
with John Wheeler
Saturday, September 27, 2025
10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Suggested donation: $20 / person
Join us for a mushrooming adventure with local expert John Wheeler, co-founder of the Berkshire Mycological Society.
The program includes a slideshow about wild mushrooms of the Berkshires, followed by a guided walk through Shantigar’s woodlands and bogs. John will show us how fungi and trees support each other and identify edible treasures and dangerous lookalikes. Bring your own finds for identification. Whether you’re a beginner at mushroom hunting or a seasoned forager, you’ll come away seeing the forest floor in an entirely new way.
What to bring: Brown paper bag or woven basket, a knife for harvesting, water, bug repellent, and sturdy shoes.

John Wheeler has been a dedicated mushroom enthusiast for 35 years. He was self-taught for 10 years, before meeting Jonathan Caldwell who hosted a course on wild mushrooms at Berkshire Community College South. In 2000, The Berkshire Mycological Society was formed by John, Jonathan, Jim Berlstein, and Don Roeder. John has attended many Northeast forays with large groups, including the Northeast Mycological Federation and the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Forays, where collections of 400 – 600 species are not uncommon.
To learn more about John and the Berkshire Mycological Society: https://namyco.org/club/ma/berkshire-mycological-society-ma/















