[radec]

Sadly I think it's fine. Where I live in the PNW there are way to many people mushroom foraging who seem to have little to no idea how to be in the woods. People rake the forest floor, people leave trash, people leave toilet paper, etc. I've actually stopped mushroom foraging in most places because the forest completely over foraged. In my experience with most outdoor activities the concept of leave no trace is completely lost on people, so unfortunately I'm fine with less people mushroom foraging.

[jamal-kumar]

I try and explain the very easy concept of making a spore print to people and they just look at me like "wow you're really smart i don't think i could do that"

...

Right after I just explained how easy it is. Reminds me of explaining password mnemonics to people sometimes. I really don't think a lot of people are prepared for taking basic safety measures and the amount of people getting poisoned in the news is high enough that I feel the alarm is warranted. I remember seeing this one photo of a girl biting an amanita species saying how someone here in Costa Rica said it would get her high and she was explaining how she was in so much pain but was asking on FACEBOOK of all websites if there was any 'natural way' to cure it, like uhh yeah no you need a helicopter to the hospital