Picking a mushroom is more like picking a fruit from a tree than a leaf, branch, or entire plant—it’s a reproductive part, and picking the mushroom does no more harm to the mycelium (the actual organism concerned) than picking an apple from the tree.

I applaud the state’s attempts to better conserve the species growing within Virginia State Parks, however,  prohibiting the removal of fungal fruiting bodies from parks is highly misguided

By picking mushrooms and carrying them in a wicker basket or mesh bag, people actually help to distribute their spores, spreading them throughout the forest.

Picking ramps, ginsing, and other highly sought-after roots is crucial to preserve these species and therefore preserve the vast biodiversity of this beautiful state. But mushrooms are not plants and do not function like plants. Picking a fruiting body is not the same as taking an entire plant or even a piece of one.

For generations, most people’s (including regulators’) knowledge of fungi has been extrapolated from their knowledge of plants. However, fungi are a different kingdom for a reason—they are actually closer to Animalia than Plantae, and function in vastly different ways.

Please take this information into consideration and research the impact of picking fungi before banning it.

Thank you,

Julia Griffin

Citizen Mycologist