Children are playing in your town's park, unattended by an
adult because the park is safe and their parents know they're reliable.
But kids have enormous curiosity. In reality, how safe are curious
children when they spy something they haven't noticed before?
Perhaps it's time youngsters and their parents learned about mushrooms and other
fleshy fruiting fungi that could endanger them. Some very poisionous wild mushrooms look similar to ones that are not
poisonous, and expert assistance is required to distinguish between safe and dangerous look-a-like species.
The Palouse Mycology Club, formed in 1993, may be able to assist you even though its website is out of date and reports "No meetings currently scheduled." Tim Paulitz (509) 335-7077 is listed as the club's contact person.
The amateur mushroom club of Washington State University, the University of Idaho, and surrounding area, has close ties with WSU Department of Plant Pathology, Pullman-Moscow.
PMC's statement says members are dedicated to "a better understanding of mushrooms and related fungi through forays, presentations and fungal feasts. We have a dedicated and highly enthusiastic core of members and our numbers are growing each year."
Members include amateur and professional mycologists from the Pullman - Moscow area and the surrounding communities of the Palouse.
Also, check the links at WSU's website for more information.
"The Palouse, once a vast, rolling grassland is now farmed with mostly winter wheat and some lentil production. While grasslands may not seem like optimal foray territory (unless one is interested in smut fungi...)," says PMC.
Research may produce assistance in locating and identifying any fungi that pose a danger to park users in your town. Since mushrooms grow from early spring into late fall in this northwest region, working with your town's officials to schedule programs to educate residents about plant safety may ensure that your children can play safely in your park.
