Happy Valley’s mushroom expert has been guiding foragers, sharing fungi knowledge for decades
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September is National Mushroom Month and there is no better time to go to Webster’s Bookstore and Café and sit in on an open table mushroom discussion with Bill Russell, our local wild mushroom expert. Russell has been holding court at the café on Mondays during mushroom seasons since 2006, when his first book, “Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic,” was released. Foragers are welcome to bring in specimens that they find for positive identification and to share stories about what to look for in the woods.
A state that is 60% forested, Pennsylvania is a premier wild mushroom destination for enthusiasts. Kennett Square is the U.S. capital of cultivated mushrooms and the lush geography of the Appalachian, Allegheny, and Pocono Mountains harbors a treasure trove of fungi, many of them edible.
Mushrooms are a hot topic lately. There are scores of mushroom teas available for those who want to kick-start their day with a blast of phytonutrients rather than a caffeine charge. Mushrooms are used as meat substitutes and have health benefits that include fighting cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and lowering blood pressure. Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, and selenium make them powerful immunity boosters, an excellent first line of defense these trending post-Covid days. Researchers are developing new uses for mushrooms that include building materials, textiles, pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, biofuels, packaging, and, at Cornell, integrating the mycelia into a biohybrid robot.
Russell, who is a Pittsburgh-area native, has been prowling around the woods for a very long time.
“My parents took me out hunting mushrooms when I was a toddler and I remember the first three button mushrooms that I found,” he said in a previous interview. “Children are naturals at mushroom hunting; they are closer to the ground. My mother took them home and sautéed them for me and I remember tasting them and enjoying them. I was hooked.”
Russell has come a long way in the world of mushrooming since then, though it was never a subject that he studied formally. His academic career was in biophysics at Penn State. He taught himself empirically about mushrooms, researching and discussing the topic with friends and hunting, always hunting for mushrooms. He is currently working on a second book about wild mushrooms that will be published by Penn State Press.
“Pennsylvania has thousands of mushrooms,” Russell has said, “and I define a mushroom as a large fleshy fungus. Not all of them are edible, but I have personally sampled 250 edible species and never had an ill effect. When trying a new wild mushroom, sample one teaspoon at a time. Wait an hour or so and see how you feel. Wild mushrooms must always be cooked, though you can taste the raw product — just be prepared for a burning sensation sometimes. “
Russell was one of the founding members, in 2010, of the Central Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, a member club of the Northeast Mycological Federation and an affiliate member of NAMA, the North American Mycological Association. The group is dedicated to the study, protection, and enjoyment of wild mushrooms. Its members include professional mycologists, amateur collectors, enthusiastic chefs, and mushroom aficionados. Monthly meetings include guided walks and potlucks during the growing season.
“Mushrooming is fun to do with other people,” Russell said in a past interview, “and people have their own reasons for wanting to learn about wild mushrooms. There are the ‘romantics’ who relate them to fairy tales; ‘scientists,’ who first grab a microscope; ‘warriors’ after morels, who are risk takers; ‘survivalists’ who are interested in sustainability. But some of my favorite mushroomers are the ‘foodies’ who are after the unique flavor and care about the proper care and presentation of the various species. None of them are disappointed.”
Attending club meetings is the best way to learn about what varieties of mushrooms we have available here in central PA. It is critical to go with knowledgeable people on a mushroom walk. They know the right time of year and appreciate the right weather conditions — heat and humidity. They will show you where to go, how to dress, what to look for, and how to gather the mushrooms without danger to the habitat or yourself. Always the optimist, Russell says “there are only seven mushrooms in this region that will kill you.” Mushroom club members give them wide berth.
If you do go out with Russell’s invaluable guidebook in your hand and find something on your own, be cautious. Bring it to Webster’s Cafe on Mondays between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. when Russell is there, identifying mushrooms that people bring in to him. Folks are welcome to come without mushrooms too, just to see what species are currently in the woods and to learn about whether to eat them or not.
As Russell has said, “This is one of the best places in the country for wild mushrooms.” An appreciation of this valuable natural resource and of this generous human resource will completely change your outlook on central PA weather. You will learn to like rain.
For more information about Bill Russell or to contact him, check out his website: www.brmushrooms.com.
Upcoming events
Invited Speaker: Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. Sept. 23, 1:30 p.m. Free.
Invited speaker: Driftwood PA Mushroom Fest: Driftwood Saloon & Grill, 375 Driftwood Ave, Driftwood, PA. Oct. 5, noon-4 p.m. Free for everyone.
Central PA Mushroom Club Meeting: Whipple Dam State Park, pavilion 1. Oct. 6, 1 p.m.
Some portions of this story appeared in previous Centre Daily Times articles.
