Free mushroom hike at Lula Lake teaches foraging and identification

Registration was required, and although the hike itself was free, Lula Lake asked attendees to consider making a donation at checkout. The organization also told hikers to come prepared with a small basket or paper bag, a pocket knife, sturdy hiking shoes or boots, weather-appropriate clothing, plenty of water and, if available, a 10x hand lens. That gear list fit the tone of the program: observation first, eating later, if at all.

The hike was led by Alisha Millican, a mycologist and parataxonomist whose work spans education, citizen science and conservation. Millican has served two terms as president of the Alabama Mushroom Society, chairs its Collection Committee, serves as a Trustee at Large on the North American Mycological Association executive board, coordinates the Southeast Rare Fungi Challenge with FunDiS, works as assistant curator of fungi at the University of West Alabama Herbarium and co-founded the East Tennessee Mushroom Club. Lula Lake said the session covered mushroom identification and anatomy, foraging safety, myco-habitats and the role fungi play in forest ecosystems and everyday life.

That mix of instruction matters on a preserve like Lula Lake’s Core Preserve, a private conservation area that is normally open only on designated Open Gate Days, which require reservations and a $16 conservation-use fee per reservation. Lula Lake Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in January 1994 by the will of Robert M. Davenport, and it says its work centers on preserving the Rock Creek watershed and surrounding historic landscapes through conservation, education and low-impact recreation. The Core Preserve holds 850 acres of conserved land, while the broader organization says it has helped conserve 12,000 acres across Lookout Mountain and owns more than 3,500 acres.