This summer, mushroom season in Latvia has started unusually early – chanterelles have already appeared in forests as early as May and early June. Social media is now full of photos showing baskets, buckets, and even bags brimming with wild mushrooms.
But mycologist Inita Dāniele, speaking to Latvian Radio, urges people to pick mushrooms responsibly – not to harvest them when they are still small, and above all, not to damage the forest.
In many places, mushrooms are being picked prematurely – while still very small. According to Dāniele, people should let mushrooms mature instead of eagerly pulling them out the moment they appear from the ground. She strongly condemns the destruction of forest undergrowth:
“If you really must, take a handful of the small ones, but don’t destroy the forest – don’t rip everything up, don’t tear apart the moss. That’s barbaric. You’d think people are living through a famine. It shouldn’t be done this way.”
Dāniele emphasized on Latvian Radio that
the forest environment must be protected, reminding listeners that it’s not only wild boars that behave destructively
– unfortunately, people do too. Using rakes and other tools, they dig up forest soil, harming the natural ecosystem.
She also warned never to pick mushrooms you don’t recognize – especially small ones that haven’t yet developed distinctive features:
“If someone is unsure whether a mushroom is edible, then it’s not edible for them. Mushrooms should only be picked when you’re absolutely certain of their identity.”
Mushroom hunters report that chanterelles have already been collected in many areas around Līgatne, Sigulda, and Jelgava. Prices at the Central Market have dropped – from 20–25 euros per liter at the start of the season to as low as 4–5 euros. However, there is growing concern over careless and environmentally harmful harvesting, raising serious questions about the forest’s long-term sustainability.
Dāniele stressed that even if mushrooms seem abundant, nature must be given time and space to regenerate. The public, she said, must develop an understanding that mushroom picking is not just about what you can collect – it’s also about respect for nature.
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