Here are some refreshers from the very first session of Telluride Mushroom Festival: There are 8 phyla of fungi, but only 2 phyla make mushrooms. A hiking stick in the field on your forays extends your reach and saves you from bending over a little much. Learn one new species at a time. Know it and its lookalikes inside out, and add species onto your list as you feel confident. Leccinum is an edible variety that looks like a king bolete that seems to make 10-20% of people sick, so experts caution against it. We heard that in France, pharmacists are trained to ID wild mushrooms. Can any of our French readers confirm this? Finally, don’t leave cut mushrooms astray in the forest. Cut one you don’t want? Place it right side up near where it was found for the next mushroom hunter.