Where to start, and what a first morning is like
Short answer: start with the Forage Walk & Wild Tasting on the Sea Ranch coastal commons — 2.5 hours, $100 per guest, year-round, easy walking, no experience needed. Children from 6 are welcome with an adult.
It is gentle walking on the Sea Ranch coastal commons rather than real off-trail travel, it runs year-round rather than waiting on the rains, and it ends with a tasting of what we found. Baskets, knives and a printed field guide are provided. You leave knowing how to head out on your own.
Two and a half hours, a small group — ten guests maximum — and a lot of stopping. Most of the time goes on looking properly: what grows where, what the ground is telling you, and the habits that keep foragers safe. We finish with a field tasting of the day's finds.
Rain does not cancel. Rain is what brings mushrooms up, so come dressed for it. We only cancel for genuinely dangerous conditions, and if we cancel you get a full refund.
Layers you do not mind getting muddy, sturdy waterproof shoes with grip, a water bottle, and curiosity. The rest is ours. The gear page goes further if you want to build a kit.
We do not identify mushrooms from photographs or descriptions, here or anywhere else on this site. Identification happens in person, in the field, with the thing in your hand — that is the whole point of going out with someone. Nothing on this site is a substitute for expert in-person identification.
Do I need any experience? None. The walk is built for people who have never done this.
How fit do I need to be? Easy walking on gentle trails, all fitness levels. The day forays are a different matter — those are real off-trail travel.
What is the minimum age? Six on this walk, with an adult responsible for each child. Twelve on every other experience — those are real off-trail days.
Will we definitely find something? A harvest is never guaranteed. What you are booking is the hunt, the teaching and the tasting.
Where exactly do we meet? The exact meeting point comes in your confirmation a few days before. Like most foragers, we keep the best spots quiet.