MUSHROOM FUN

There's still time to find mushrooms in southern New England. We had to search a little harder, but then that's half the fun!

Do you know what you can do with mushrooms?

-Bring some inside and look at them with magnifying glasses, 

**But always with the notion that ALL of them are poisonous.** 

Stay safe!

-Look at it closely. 

Do you know where the gills are?

Look at the cap and the stem.

How tall is it? Measure and record it.

(more activities below)

Here are some more mushrooms we found on our search :

 -Notice where each mushroom grew from when you collect it.
Was it growing from a rotted log, some moss, leaves,  tree bark, earth, etc ?   Was it in dampness or dryness?  Was it in a field,woodlands or lawn?

-Categorize each one according to the shape of its top ( the cap or Pileus).
Cone-shaped, Bell-shaped, Convex, Plane, Raised at center, Depressed, Funnel form

-Draw a mushroom in your nature journal.

-Use one at the entrance to your faerie house.

-Make spore prints
Spores are dust-like particles that come from the gills and they "create new individuals after being carried away on the wind and landing in a good place for growth".

Cut the stem off the mushroom and place the cap of the mushroom, gill side down, on a piece of paper. Use white paper for darker gills and darker paper for lighter gills.
Cover with glass jar or bowl and leave overnight.

 Spray the prints with acrylic fixative ( or hairspray) and mount them on colored cardstock.

          THE GALLERY of SPORE PRINTS 

Above all, enJOY your discoveries . . . 

and your connection with the natural world.

happy day!