autumn mushroom foraging course in Berlin
Join Simka for a mushroom foraging deep-dive this autumn! Taking place over three Saturday forest day trips spread over the autumn months, plus one online crash course session, this course will take you from mushroom novice right through to confident forager taking home your own fungal harvests.
The course will cover:
🍄 The best-tasting and most rewarding edible mushrooms of the early, mid and late autumn high season
🍄 How to observe and identify a mushroom
🍄 Mushroom biology and fungal growth habits
🍄 How to categorize mushrooms into some of the large & important families
🍄 Common toxic mushrooms and how to avoid them
🍄 Tools and techniques to get started foraging
🍄 How to absolutely not poison yourself
🍄 Where and how to look for edible mushrooms
🍄 How to harvest and clean your finds
🍄 Sustainable foraging practices
🍄 Cooking and preservation tips and recipes
🍄 How to keep expanding your knowledge
🍄 …and much more!
We’ll move through the abundant autumn season together as a small group, tracking the mushrooms as they fruit and change, and tasting, touching, smelling and cooking our way into deep understanding rooted in hands-on experience. Along the way we'll explore all-important questions of sustainability, ethical harvesting, multispecies relationships and the peculiarities of the semi-urban forest around Berlin.
Across the three day trips, we'll put particular emphasis on easy-to-identify species with excellent culinary applications as well as the all-important question of how to not accidentally poison yourself. You'll meet an estimated 15-25 different species of edible and medicinal wild mushroom, and get confident harvesting many different types for yourself. Plus we'll meet countless non-edible species, and together fall deep down the rabbit hole that is the bizarre and wonderful world of fungi – undoubtedly with plenty of side quests, wacky learnings and surprises along the way.
Each session will take place in a different location and will include foraged snacks, practical identification tips, and plenty of time for questions, discussion, searching and harvesting. We'll also take plenty of time to go slow, be present, and soak in the beautiful nature of these special wild spots.
the details
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Dates & times: Introductory online session Wednesday September 24th, 19:00-20:30 (will be recorded), then full-day sessions on Saturdays September 27th, October 11th, and November 15th, 10:30-17:00
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Location: Different each time, shared 1–2 weeks in advance. Always easily accessible by public transit within 45 minutes of central Berlin
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Group size: 6–12 participants
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Price: 250€ (payment plans available!)
What's included
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One interactive crash-course online session covering the basics of foraging, mushroom biology, important families, and answering initial questions (will be recorded)
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Three full-day trips into the forest around Berlin, building knowledge each session through guided forays through new habitats and encountering new species each time
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Detailed handouts each session
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A dedicated Telegram group for sharing discoveries and resources and answering questions between sessions
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Your own copy of Simka's laminated mushroom ID cards
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Foraged snacks made by Simka to taste each session
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A warm, passionate, interactive teaching approach with lots of hands-on learning as well as time to just "be" in nature, including a sensory meditation to start each session
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Multispecies perspectives, centering ethical foraging and practical sustainability
Expect to walk away with practical foraging skills to last a lifetime, a deepened connection to the fungi & forests around you, a community of like-minded foragers, and a whole new way of experiencing the land around Berlin!
the fine print:
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The course takes place over three Saturdays (September 27th, October 11th, and November 15th 2025), plus an introductory online session on September 24th. Saturday sessions start at 10:30 AM and ends between 4:30 and 5:00 PM each day. The online session will run from 19:00-20:30.
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The course fee is €250. Participants are responsible for their own food, travel expenses, and any accommodation costs.
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* Fungi are fickle creatures and don't always turn up when and where they're expected! It's very likely we'll find the stated range of diversity over the 3 sessions, but no one can guarantee finding edible mushrooms. If we have bad luck, we'll supplement our time in the forest with learning about edible plant species around us as well.
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Except in the case of extreme or dangerous conditions, the course will go ahead regardless of the weather. In case of rain or inclement weather, participants are responsible for wearing appropriate clothing to stay dry and warm.
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If I am ill or the minimum number of 6 participants is not reached, I reserve the right to postpone or cancel the course.
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Participation in the course is at the participant’s own risk. I am not liable for accidents, injuries, or property damage unless caused by my intentional or grossly negligent actions. Any damage caused by participants must be covered by the responsible party.
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If you are registered for this course and cancel up to 2 weeks before the start, you will be refunded less the non-refundable booking fees incurred by Stripe. For cancellations after that, half of the fee will be charged. From 7 days before the course begins, the full fee applies. If you arrange a replacement participant or someone from the waiting list takes your place, no costs will apply. I kindly ask for your understanding regarding this policy.