Mushrooms in Abundance
2026 Mushroom Forays
Our two August Mushroom Forays revealed an extraordinary variety of fungi in the forests around Lake of Bays.
At the Bondi Trail foray on August 22, participants covered a relatively short distance but found an impressive variety of mushrooms. Leader Mark McLean identified 50 species, as well as the genus of three more, with several additional mushrooms remaining unidentified. Mark described it as the highest number of mushroom species found in the shortest distance covered on one of our forays.
A week later, the Sherborne Lake foray on August 29 produced an even bigger count. With beautiful weather, keen-eyed participants and mushrooms in abundance, the group found 70 identified species, plus four identified to genus and about a dozen more that remained unidentified.
Along the way, participants had an opportunity to see the remarkable diversity of mushrooms found in our local forests and learn more about the important role fungi play in the forest ecosystem.
Explore what we found
Take a look at some of the mushrooms spotted during the two forays in the photos below, and see the species lists from each outing.
Many thanks to Mark McLean for once again leading these popular outings and to everyone who joined us. Special thanks to Katharine and Krista for their photographs and to Joyce for carrying the collection basket at Bondi Trail.
The Mushroom Forays are two of five nature programs offered by the Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation each spring and summer. These programs are made possible by our volunteers.
