Ep. 111: Mushroom Safaris in Wales & Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Foraging (feat. Daniel Butler)

Today on Mushroom Hour we have are honored to be joined by Welsh wild food expert Daniel Butler. Daniel is an environmental writer and wild food enthusiast, starting as a boy with ferreted rabbits and moving on to herbs and mushrooms in his 20s. He leads guided hedgerow and fungal forays from his Welsh smallholding through the summer and autumn. Writing extensively on issues of foraging as a source of free food Daniel aims to demystify edible plants and fungi to make them accessible to all. I’m excited to learn more about foraging in the Welsh countryside, how wild foods can add new dimensions to our lives and even the legal and conservation aspects foragers consider as we enjoy the wild harvest.    TOPICS COVERED:   Moving to the Country, Discovering Mushrooms  Anglo-Saxon Mycophobia  Fungal Edibility & Toxicity in Perspective   Environmental Conservation in the UK   Property Rights in the UK  “The Charter of the Forest” More Influential than Magna Carta?  How Foraging Benefits Conservation Efforts  Cultural Influences on Foraging in the UK, Continental Europe and America  Mushroom Foraging Seasons in the UK   Exploring the Biodiversity of Elan Valley in Wales  Clashes with Authority in UK Forests  Bringing Together Conservation Authorities and Foraging Culture  Building Back Connection with the Land   Gift of Educating Others About Wild Mushrooms  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Daniel Butler Website: https://www.fungiforays.co.uk/  Elan Valley, Wales: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elan_Valley  "Charter of the Forest": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_Forest  Northern Goshawk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_goshawk  Calocybe gamose (AKA St. George's Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calocybe_gambosa  Boletus edulis (AKA Porcini Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis  Craterellus cornucopioides (AKA Black Trumpet Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craterellus_cornucopioides