The fires that affected our National Forest's in western Montana and northern Idaho left a legacy that has been repeated thousands of times in Montana's natural history. The burned areas provide ideal conditions for the growth of morel mushrooms, a fungus that is collected around the world and highly revered for its delicious flavor.
The Western Montana Mycological Association wishes you all success in your morel picking this year. Please be careful; burn sites can be dangerous walking due to burned out stump holes, hanging snags, and loose soil or rocks. Burn areas are closed to use by ATV or 4-wheel drives due to the increased erosion from the fires. Forest Service permits are required to pick mushrooms in some areas.
So you want to pick morels? Take
a look at the photo to the left, and see how many morels you can find.
Think that you can tell morels from their toxic cousins, the false morels? Look at the photo below and see how many false morels you can count.
For answers to these 2 questions, go to the morel research page.
If you would like to attend, information will be printed in the next Fungal Jungal newsletter. Join the WMMA for further information.
Morel mushrooms (Genus Morchella) have a complex life cycle that is still the subject of much scientific study. Here's some info if you are interested in participating in morel research
Information on road closures, and how to access burn areas near you, will be posted on this site as it becomes available. See our links page, also information regarding Ethical Harvesting.
For information on preserving morels and some great recipes, see our RECIPES section.
Info about morels and their relationship with fire ecology.