Pick n' Flick?
Firstly, the idea of picking and flicking stems from a good place. It's a conscious thought and an attempt to help preserve genetics, encourage reproduction and allow a species to recover and thrive. And I don't want to dismiss that intention.
But does it have any scientific evidence behind it? Does it actually make a difference?
There's very little evidence to suggest it does.
Fungi have spent millions of years evolving some extraordinarily sophisticated mechanisms for reproducing and dispersing their spores. Their fruiting bodies are specialised structures, with an incredible variety of adaptations designed to give their spores the best possible chance of reaching somewhere suitable to grow.
Some species use raindrops to launch little packages of spores into the surrounding environment. Others have evolved microscopic catapults that fire spores away at remarkable speeds. Some even produce their own tiny air currents to help lift spores into the atmosphere. And then there are stinkhorns, which produce some rather questionable aromas to attract flies that help distribute their spores.
A single basidiomycete mushroom can release over a billion spores in a day.
So, the idea that a quick flick of the wrist after picking a mushroom is going to have some dramatic effect on its reproductive success seems a little optimistic.
Does that mean we should pick, cut or pull? That's a slightly different debate, and one for another post.
But let's not confuse well-intentioned folklore with scientific evidence.
If we genuinely care about conserving fungi, there are much bigger things to worry about.
Habitat loss, industrial farming, nitrogen deposition, pollution, soil compaction and destructive land management all have real consequences for fungal populations and the ecosystems they depend on.
Let's concentrate our efforts where they can actually make a difference.
And just because Dave on YouTube says the liberty caps won't grow back if you don't flick them, doesn't make it true. Just to be clear, liberty caps are Class A controlled fungi under UK law. Picking and possessing them is illegal.
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