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'Foraging connects you to the land and nature in a simple, direct way'
Delhi’s forest floors are beaming with fungal life, inviting nature lovers and shroom seekers to step out in the wild to meet them. Continuing their monsoon tradition of fungi forays, self-taught mycologist and artist Malavika Bhatia has been hosting these walks at Sanjay Van, Jahanpanah City Forest, Lodhi Garden and Hauz Khas Forest this year.Look beneath decaying barks, on moist soil and in the areas devoid of sunlight, those are the ones you’ll find mushrooms in, suggest fungi spotters.
During the monsoon, Delhi's forests are alive with fungal life
‘Foraging connects you to the land and nature in a simple, direct way’During a recent walk at Jahanpanah City Forest, fungi spotters saw reishi mushrooms, mycelium holding together leaves and barks, and varieties like Earth star, schizophyllum commune, stinkhorn, split gill fungus, and protista, to name a few.
“Foraging connects you to the land and nature in a simple, direct way. It reminds you that food does not come from grocery delivery apps, but from earth. This is our fourth year of hosting fungi forays in Delhi, and every year we find new species,” mentions Malavika, whose walks give many a chance to discover the city’s diverse mycoverse.
Discover Delhi's diverse mycoverse at fungi forays
“There are more fungi we don’t know about than the ones we know about. It is different every time – week to week, things change.
In a city like Delhi, where you may feel that each day is the same, fungi remind you that nature is extremely dynamic. Its presence is a message of coexistence” adds Malavika.
Natural builder Raghav Kumar and fermenter Sanchita Agarwal attended a fungi foray at Jahanpanah City Forest
I’ve always been fascinated by the queendom of fungi. I’ve leveled up in my mushroom spotting skills. I had no idea the forests of Delhi held such rich biodiversity
Raghav Kumar, a natural builder and founder of Tiny Farm Lab
There's a growing curiosity around mushrooms
A growing curiosity for mushroomsFrom reishi mushroom tea tasting experience to bio music concerts, mushroom enthusiasts have been hosting and participating in mycological experiences. “There are many experiences centred around mushrooms these days,” says Sumit Sharan, owner of a gourmet mushroom farm in NCR. He adds, “These walks are not niche anymore. Such walks appeal to everyone, they are easy, interesting, and within the city. There is enough momentum to have more mushroom-related experiences in Delhi.
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During the walk, participants get to learn about fungi, its life cycle, morphology of a gilled fungus and polypore fungus and Delhi’s myco-diversity
Weekends are my chance to explore and get inspired by new experiences. Being in nature makes me realize how intricate ecosystems are, like a single twig can be home to a whole family of mushrooms, each at different stages of growth. It’s moments like these that make me pause and reflect
Sreemanjari Raizada, a designer, who attended a foray at Jahanpanah City Forest
Look beneath decaying barks, on moist soil and in the areas devoid of sunlight, those are the ones you'll find mushrooms in, suggests Malavika Bhatia, who led the walk
A beginner’s guide
- Join a guided foraging walk, carry a basket or box if you wish to forage
- Take the help of a field guide to identify fungal beings because you can touch any mushroom, but cannot eat until identified as edible
- Observe mushrooms at different stages. Pluck out only the mature mushrooms. If you are picking a mushroom, pick a few from the patch, not all
- One can identify the mushrooms by taking a spore print and IDing the mushroom. Mushrooms dry out quickly, so take their pictures from all angles
- If you are in an urban forest, trace back the same path to where you started, you will definitely notice more mushrooms on your way back
- “Fungi are bio accumulators*, so, Delhi is not the city to experiment eating mushrooms growing in the wild,” suggests Malavika
Bioaccumulation (verb) is the process where a substance, often a pollutant or toxin, builds up in a living organism over time
“Fungi are bio accumulators, so, Delhi is not the city to experiment eating mushrooms growing in the wild,” suggests Malavika
English (US) ·