Mushrooms and Permaculture

In this year’s Urban Self Reliance program series, running through October at various neighborhood branches, The Library will present two different workshops on wild mushrooms. Edible Mushrooms will focus on resources to introduce you to the world of mushroom gathering. On the Mushroom Trail, presented by author Langdon Cook will discuss the underground economy that has developed in the Northwest around wild mushrooms. If you would like to check out a few books on mushrooms before attending one of the workshops, here are some choices in The Library’s catalog:

The Complete Mushroom Hunter: An Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms by Gary Lincoff

This book not only gives you an illustrated guide to common wild edible mushrooms, but also gives a brief history of mushroom hunting worldwide.

Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms by Alexander Schwab

A photographic field guidebook for those who have just started to collect tasty wild mushrooms. This book focuses mainly on the type of mushrooms that are both safe to eat and delicious. The eight rules of mushroom gathering are included.

Wild Edible Mushrooms: Tips and Recipes for Every Mushroom Hunter by Hope H. Miller

This book gives a clear guide on how to identify and harvest mushrooms as well as prepare them for meals. Detailed descriptions, color photos of 40 edible mushrooms and more than 100 recipes are included.

Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Steve Trudell & Joe Ammirati

This book presents 460 types of mushrooms found in Oregon, Washington, Southern British Columbia, Idaho and Westernmost of Montana with illustrations, photographs and detailed descriptions.

The North American Guide to Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms by Nancy J Tuner & Patrick von Aderkas

This book guides you to identify the poisonous plants and mushrooms that are commonly seen in homes and gardens in North America. Plant descriptions, pictures, and toxic properties are given.

The Library will also be partnering with Sustainable Seattle to present a program Can You Eat Your Lawn? Using Permaculture Tools to Create Edible Landscapes. Permaculture has been defined as the conscious design and maintenance of agricultural systems modeled on the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.

Below are some of the titles on permaculture that you can browse from The Library’s catalog: