Beacon comes alive in a special way in the fall - not just because of the gorgeous autumn leaves, but because of the sizes, shapes and colours of fall mushrooms! Mushrooms can be found at camp all throughout the regular growing season, but fall is the best time for mushrooms. These little munchkins are tucked into all kinds of nooks and crannies in the forest and are well worth the time it takes to find them!

Where can mushrooms be found? Fortunately, many can be found right in the middle of Beacon paths and walking trails, or on the decaying logs that have been cleared off to the side of the paths. Mushrooms flourish when there is the temperature, humidity, and soil content are just right. There are often predictable patterns about where certain mushrooms will grow, because different species will prefer specific habitats. Some enjoy decaying tree root systems, while others prefer the trunk. Some like deciduous trees, and others like coniferous. Some kinds of mushrooms can even be attracted to very specific tree species; for example, elm trees are known to be the favourite local of a highly-prized kind of mushroom called a morel.

Below you’ll find a gallery with a smattering of examples of mushrooms found at Beacon. The pictures in the gallery are all examples of the stereotypical mushroom shape: a dome-like cap sitting a top a stem. There are all kinds of other shapes to admire, but we’ll get to that in Part 2.

For now, enjoy the vibrant colours and the textures of the caps in these photos, and keep your eyes out for the little munchkins that live in your area too!