AUTUMN is a time when the forest floors fill with fungi. But although foraging for wild mushrooms sounds appealing, as one expert puts it, “every mushroom is edible once!”.

Why not play safe and join an organised fungi foray...

1. Spend a day with John Wright, author of the River Cottage Mushroom Handbook on October 23 learning to identify mushrooms and toadstools in Puddletown forest. The event runs from 10am to 4.30pm. Tickets £70 includes a light lunch. To book, call 07720 637808 or email info@sculpturebythelakes.co.uk

2. The Dorset Fungus Group meets around 10am on Sundays to collect specimens for identification and occasionally sample. Most forays last for between two and three hours. Visit dorsetfungusgroup.com

3. Hedgerow Harvest organises fungi walks for beginners who want to know more about identifying wild mushrooms. Price £35 includes cooking and sampling any edible finds. . Visit hedgerow-harvest.com

4. Wild Mushroom Walks are for small, informal groups. Course dates run from late summer to early winter, generally lasting around three hours, picking some edible species and how to recognise various poisonous varieties. See wildmushroomwalks.co.uk.

5. Wild Food UK meets at The Red Shoot Inn in the west of the New Forest. The course starts there with a 20 minute introductory talk on what to look for and a brief of the general countryside codes, followed by a 2-3 hour walk identifying various fruits, plants and mushrooms finishing with a wild food lunch. For more details, see wildfooduk.com

6. Fungi To Be With also run mushroom foraging workshops or check out Wild Food UK for tips on identifying what you’re picking, too. Please note that although The Forestry Commission has tried to ban the practice, foraging is allowed as long as it’s only for personal use (1.5kg per person per visit).