Even Iowa mushroom hunters need to mind their social distancing if they’re hunting in a group, according to one of the experts at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Lina Rodriguez Salamanca, an I-S-U plant pathology diagnostician, will be teaching her annual Safe Mushroom Foraging workshop next month — though this time, it will all be online using Zoom.

The much-coveted morel mushrooms are starting to appear in wooded areas, especially in southern and southeastern Iowa. Rodriguez Salamanca says foraging awareness is vital, and there are always risks associated with eating wild mushrooms.

The virtual workshop will cover things like identification traits, foraging safety, and distinguishing between edible and non-edible varieties of mushrooms. Rodriguez Salamanca says coronavirus also plays a role in how you hunt.

“We need to be very cautious and practice the CDC recommendations, practice our social distancing,” she says. “As you hunt, if you are going in a group, make sure that you’re keeping six feet in between people, make sure you’re washing your hands and that you are wearing a mask when needed.” The first hour-long spring workshop will be held on May 5th at 6 p.m. It’s free but you need to register in advance. It’ll be limited to 300 participants. If you register for both the spring and fall online workshops, you’ll get a free copy of the soon-to-be-released “Safe Mushroom Foraging Guide” from I-S-U. Learn more and find a link to register here: