OMS Guidelines for Field Trip Participants
Members who are attending field trips are responsible for, and should have reviewed the following:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
1.Field trips may be cancelled for lack of rain or many other factors.
2.Field trips are subject to change.
3.If you are interested in a trip, contact the Field Trip Leader directly.
4.Read up on the expected mushrooms in the habitat.
5.Be on time at the meeting place.
6.Check in AND out on the Field Trip Sign In Sheet.
6.Listen & abide to the instructions from the Field Trip Leader.
7.If you have ANY questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact the Field Trip Leader or Field Trip Coordinator.
8.You may need a Northwest Forest Pass on some field trips. They're available at ranger stations, REI and other stores.
9.Mushroom Permits are needed in the Mount Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forests and some other locations. Please find the most current information on the OMS website under Resources/Checklists and Instructions.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:
1.Each individual is responsible for him or herself. The field trip leader is primarily there to coordinate the mushroom collecting and identification efforts of the individual members of the field trip.
2.Be prepared with the proper clothing and equipment. Please refer to “A Mushroom Hunting Checklist”! This list was designed with your safety in mind. Field trips are often held in rugged and remote areas where the weather can change at any time. You are not going for a walk around the block!
3.Always go hunting with a companion. This means hunting within sight of your hunting buddies, or maintaining voice and/or whistle contact regularly. Once you are out of whistle or voice range, it is difficult to
Whistle signals:
1 blast
3
4. Stay oriented by remaining within sight of a road or trail, or use a compass and map or GPS. During hunting season, stay out of areas where you know people are hunting
with guns or bows/arrows (vans with gun racks are a good clue) or wear bright clothing and make voice, bell or whistle noises.
FORAGING CONSIDERATIONS:
1.Bring necessary tools for mushroom gathering. Please refer to the “Mushroom Hunting Checklist”.
2.Respect your fellow hunters’ areas and don’t over pick.
3.Offer to help/take a beginner along. You get the satisfaction of passing on your knowledge, and you may even find a new friend.
4.Take notes at time of gathering for study table discussion.
5.Take photographs or make sketches to learn from them again.
6.Return to the meeting place at the appointed time. If you have checked in with the leader and leave early, tell someone else to let the leader know. If you do not sign out, we will assume you are lost and call the authorities! A lunch gathering time is helpful, though not all field trip leaders do this.
7.Attempt to ID some of your mushrooms at least to genus. A good field guide is essential. Keys are also useful if you use them. The field trip leader - and others - are eager to help you identify your finds, but the only way you will learn is to try to start the ID process yourself! Even the best identifier will be overwhelmed when confronted with dozens of unidentified specimens!
(Rev 4/2011 ML)