Rain = mushrooms. This is a very simple equation, and many 'shroom hunters out there know it well. Collecting and picking the fungus of the world, whether for the purpose of eating or scientific data, can be a very interesting pastime. Although I have never spent too much time looking for the numerous fungal varieties during my many travels and walks in nature, one of my friends had an experience in Costa Rica that confirmed I would NEVER be eating those that I did pick in the future.

Of course we all know that mushrooms are a delicacy, but they are also used for the purpose of deep spiritual awakening and connecting with the natural world. If you did not guess, I am referring to the hallucinogenic type of spores. My friend's story from Costa Rica was regarding this specific branch of the mushroom world.

He and a group of surfers that he met while traveling down there in the early nineties were being guided to various surf spots and natural world vistas by a "tico" (the word used by Costa Ricans to refer to themselves). He seemed to have a pretty good knowledge of his country, how to get around, and where the places for awesome surf were located. The seven American surfers who were under his auspices had built a trust with this tico, so when he pulled over on the side of the road near a cattle ranch and called out: "Hongos! Hongos!" everyone assumed he knew that they would be safe to eat.

After ingesting the psilocybin and hoping to feel the intensity of the ocean in a different way, they all paddled out together at a surf break just down the road. One by one my friend witnessed his surf compatriots paddle to the beach and crawl up the sand vomiting profusely. Soon it was his turn. The lot of them spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in turmoil of illness and shaky sanity. Hopefully, a big lesson learned for each of them.

Like studying tornadoes, those that like to hunt, pick and observe mushrooms are seemingly always under the ominous presence of mortality. I for one will continue to photograph these wonderfully diverse species, but refrain from popping them in my mouth for fear of an experience that I detailed above.

For more about the pleasures of walking in nature on a mycological mission, check out these sites. Or just go for a walk a day or two after a good rain in your local park and make up interesting names for the growths, but don't pick 'em to eat 'em!

http://morelmushroomhunting.com/
http://www.multicians.org/thvv/mushrooms.html?1
http://namyco.org/
http://www.shroomery.org/index.php/par/7912
ER Harris