Shantigar Foundation
in Western Massachusetts
Arts
Meditation
Nature
Jean-Claude van Itallie, Founder
1936 - 2021
Mushroom Hunt
with John Wheeler
Saturday, October 17, 2026
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Suggested donation: $20 / person
Red chanterelles. Blue trumpets. Golden oysters. Lion’s mane...
The forest floor offers many treasures! Join us for a mushroom hunt with local expert John Wheeler. The program includes a fascinating slide show, followed by a woodland walk.
Learn about mycorrihiza, the deep bond between specific trees and fungi.
Sharpen your skills for separating edible mushrooms from toxic look-alikes.
What to bring: Brown paper bag or basket, knife, water, bug repellent, and sturdy shoes.
John Wheeler has been a dedicated mushroom enthusiast for 35+ years. Self-taught for 10 years, he then met Jonathan Caldwell at 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 attends many Northeast forays with the Northeast Mycological Federation and the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Forays, where collections of 400 – 600 species are not uncommon.
Learn more about John from his 2025 interview in The Greenfield Recorder (including a delicious mushroom recipe) here.
