News Detail
Foraging for Fungi
Grade 9 Health and Career Education students ventured into the woods this week in a fruitful search for wild mushrooms.
Combining several different aspects of study — nutrition, sustainability, and biodiversity — Mrs. Rainbow Bartlett’s class went foraging for chanterelle mushrooms, with the help of local mushroom expert Mr. Doug Robb and Shawnigan science teacher Ms. Ali Ballantyne.
It was more than just a scouting expedition, though. The students did a deep dive into fungi, learning about things like mycelium – an underground network of fungal threads that mushrooms can sprout from – the importance of mushrooms and other fungi to the ecosystem, and how mushrooms are rich in antioxidants. They also got to explore the School’s natural surroundings and learn about respecting the rainforest.
Mushrooms are a gift from nature that keeps giving: as soon as one is picked, it begins regenerating.
The students returned with “loads” of chanterelles, which they took to Director of Food Services and chef Mr. Dustin Setso, who showed them how to clean them and talked about the nutritional benefits, then cooked them. The students had a taste test with the chanterelles, portabellas, and regular white mushrooms, and invited their House Directors to partake as well.
The students, said Mrs. Bartlett, loved the whole experience. “It was a great opportunity to appreciate what we have here,” she commented.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
