Join Prairie States Mushroom Club and fellow fungi enthusiasts for a foray at Draco Hill Nature Farm in Cedar County.

Located east of West Branch, Draco Hill is the dream-in-progress of husband and wife team Paul Durrenberger and Suzan Erem and their daughter Ayshe Yeager. The family is restoring 75 acres of former farmland on the Cedar River to prairie and forest. They’re growing orchards, controlling invasive species, managing the woodlands and allowing a cherished prairie remnant to reassert itself.

Our forays are free and open to the public. We encourage attendees to support our mission and forays by purchasing an annual membership for $10.

SITE INFO
Website:
https://dracohill.org

Map:
https://dracohill.org/about/

RECOMMENDED GEAR
• Smartphone with iNaturalist app
• Mesh, canvas, wax paper or brown paper bags
• Mushroom knife (with soft bristle brush and ruler; or also bring measuring tape)
• Area-specific guide(s) to tree and mushroom species
• Hiking gear: close-toed shoes, pants, long socks, long-sleeved shirt or jacket, insect repellent, compass, cooler (for food and water).

RESOURCE
Safe Mushroom Foraging, an Iowa State University Publication:
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/15836

Chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa) at Draco Hill Nature Farm