Mushroom Hunting with Noodle the Scent-Trained Dog

Join us in the beautiful forest of West Nevada County, guided by Christopher, an expert ethno-botanist, and accompanied by the star of the show: Noodle, the scent-trained mushroom dog!

You may have already seen Noodle’s delightful mushroom-hunting videos on Instagram, but if you haven’t, you’re going to want to check out her funny and joyful adventures. (Parental discretion advised: her Instagram page is geared for adults - but this program is all ages friendly!)

In this half-day program, Noodle’s human, Ellen, will share her process for how she trained Noodle, and you will have the opportunity to see Noodle in action.**

In addition to the novelty of Noodle, we will put you on the path to becoming a forager. This program will teach you foundational skills to be able to go out foraging on your own. We will cover mushroom anatomy for identification, symbiotic tree and plant relationships, poisonous and edible mushrooms, and forest safety.  This winter, it will be possible to find edibles such as chanterelle, matsutake, porcini, lion's mane, blewits, black trumpets, hedgehogs, and more.  The program also includes community building, mindful movement, a cooking demo, and a tasting at the end. We typically end between 2-3 pm. 

**Please Note: While Noodle is a trained dog, she is still an animal, and we cannot guarantee her exact behavior or focus during the hunt.  Because our goal is to see Noodle in action, we ask that you leave your own dogs at home, so that we have the best shot of getting to experience her special magic.  This is also our first time running this program, so you will be part of a fun improvisational experiment. Also, we will NOT be consuming any alcohol during this program.