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News & Stories / Writings The Season Begins A poem, while we all wait in anticipation of the first coastal rains that bring the autumn boletes and a wealth of fungal fruiting. Regardless of your preference for edibles and/or rich fungal diversity, it is difficult to ignore each passing day that brings us closer to local forays. Bill McGuire • September 1, 2010 Boletus edulis. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org The sounds and smells of fall in the air, fat pumpkins lying in the fields Wood smoke rising lazily, moon in apogee, full, the summer yields A quiet breeze rustles the leaves, leaving only a faint sound Like the flutter of the Fairies’ wings heard in ghostly flight The leaves winter colored, frost crisp’d, dry in their season of death Slowly twist, and then suddenly free, fall silently to the ground Warm mists of October, November rains, fairy rings up last night Baskets ready, anticipation, mushrooms thrusting, pounding hearts A good day, baskets full, shadows long, campfire blazing, happy sounds Of those dying leaves, give thanks, they have had their season in the sun Their short life has run, in their dying commences a new life, the fungal mycelium Mushrooms, in their turn, become the leaves; their life cycle then to be o’er As nature intended, their day in the rain has quickly run, ad infinitum Mushroom lovers: observe the leaves as they twist and turn and fall to mother earth Observe, prepare, it’s soon our turn, our day in the sun, and our season of rebirth —Bill McGuire 2010 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Writings Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Mushrooms in Chongqing China My hometown, Chongqing, China—nicknamed the “Mountain City” and “Fog City” and home to 30 million people—is famous for its spicy cuisine, ancient rock carvings, and breathtaking landscapes featured in Transformers. Little is known, however, about its mushrooms. Harvey Feng • October 1, 2025 Mushroom from Chongqing, China. © Harvey Feng Welcome to Chongqing! It has many to offer and cheap tickets in September and October. Got time to hike twice in nearby hills (450 meters elevation) before returning to the US. Here are the most impressive mushrooms. Hope I can go deep in the wood next time. Its terrain is from ~ 200 to 2000 meters and first soaking rain this year was in mid-September. Note from the Editor: In February 2026, Harvey will take us through his journey to Chongqing , and what he rediscovered in huge surprise--the mushrooms, nature, and the fascinating fellow foragers. Chongqing ("chaang-ching") is located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, about 1,756 km (1,091 miles) Southeast of Beijing. Chongqing, China (from Google Maps) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Heaven, a Restaurant in Beijing Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Hmmm... We couldn't ID that link (If this were a mushroom, we'd go back to our field guide and start over.) Try a Search Report a Broken Link

Hmmm... We couldn't ID that link (If this were a mushroom, we'd go back to our field guide and start over.) Try a Search Report a Broken Link