Fungi guide

Wombat Forestcare has produced a handy guide to the Fungi of the Wombat Forest and Macedon Ranges. The guide comes in the form of a hardy folder, and has over a hundred large postage sized photos with succinct information on the species illustrated.  Although some of these species are more prominent in the wetter forests than they are in Mount Alexander region, the guide references many which can be found in the woodlands of the box ironbark country.

The folder has been produced for the Forestcare group by Alison Pouliot, and contains much useful info in addition to the species photos. Among other things, it warns that ‘knowledge about the edibility of  Australian fungi is scant and deadly poisonous species exist in Australia.’ Uninformed sampling of fungi is definitely not a good idea. It’s worth noting that even in Europe, where community familiarity with fungi is better developed than here in Australia, it’s been estimated that 50-100 people die from fungal poisoning each year. This is known, rather macabrely, as the ‘try and die’ method of getting to know fungi.

A much better idea is to get to know them for their beauty and ecological importance. The folder is available from Wombat Forestcare for a reasonable $6.00.  FOBIF has a limited number of folders, which we can sell to members on monthly walks at the recommended retail price.