An Ode to Morchella Americana

As I cross off March 20th on my calendar

The First official Day of Spring, I smile with glee and wait patiently for the countdown

I drive along the backroads and spot 5 wood ducks landing in the Mill Pond happily splashing and dunking their painted faces 

Daffodils and crocuses are popping, finally I mutter ‘some color!’ 

Red-Winged Black birds chasing each other and sweeping from branch to branch 

The trees begin to flower and bud, some blooming flowers of pastel pink and creams

I see the chipmunks racing to and fro out of hibernation; all busy working on their winter clean-up

April 1st rolls around, ‘finally!’ I squeal! 

I check the weather daily, wishing it would rain a little more, and hope the temperature will rise a few more digits 

I sit outside, weed my garden trying to maintain my excitement for what’s coming in a few short weeks

My tea pot screams a whistle as I put my binoculars to my face scanning the hill for early glimpses 

Finally, April 25th,  this time last year was the day

 I spring out of bed like it’s Christmas morning 

I rush downstairs to lace up my boots and throw on my lucky sweatshirt 

I drive to a secluded area in the woods; the smell of a fire burning in the distance is my candle

I take my first step in the woods, a soft ‘crunch’ beneath my boots and I feel a small rock in my left boot-I’ll deal with that later

I walk as slowly and as quietly as I can 

I look down, hear the buzz of a bumble bee taking a sip of a dandelion right beside me. ‘Hello’ I say softly

A flutter from above, I saw a dark shadow shoot from a tree, I scared the owl. ‘Sorry!’ I whisper 

I move along, watching very carefully where I step, 30 minutes, an hour, great; now I’m on hour 2 of what feels like walking in circles

I sit on a fallen Elm tree, stick a toothpick in my mouth and sigh, ‘I guess this isn’t the spot’

That rock in my boot is driving me nuts, I unlace it and dump it out in front of me

Here comes the rock, ‘plunk’ and following it is a bunch of sand from some beach somewhere

Thinking back to the last time I wore these boots– must have been St. Joe Beach

The sunlight shining rays down to the forest floor, creating a heavenly effect. I'm grateful, at least it’s a nice day.

And in front of me, there it is 

Caught in the glow of the sun, a perfect morel mushroom 

I shove my boot on fast and scamper over to it, oh my! ‘FINALLY!’ I yell with joy!

The owl somewhere not far away, gives me a ‘Hoot! Hoot!’ of celebration 

I look to my left, another one,  just as magnificent, another one behind that as I look to my right, 4 no 5! 

I grab my mesh bag and begin trick-or-treating my way through the honey hole

I spend an hour gathering my morels and giving them a light shake as I walk along

A new trail for next year I hope

My eyes light up as I exit the woods, what a haul. At least 40 morels 

I check myself for ticks, hop back in the car, turn on the radio,  turn up the volume. It's a Stevie Nicks song

I think to myself, how foolish I was to get frustrated with the search, when really it’s all about the journey

All of the wonderful things I explored and saw in the woods, the morels were just the cherry on top

Happy Hunting Season to you all, don’t forget to slow down and admire the beauty that is our wonderful planet and our stunning Birch Lake. What a beautiful place we get to share together and call home…

Written by: Phyllis Catherine Rasmussen 5/6/2025

Cool Facts about Morel Mushrooms you may not have known: 

-Morels aren’t just tasty, they are a good source of protein, fiber, and are jam packed with Vitamin D-which is essential for bone health. They also contain antioxidants and can help fight oxidative (liver) stress and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer. They balance blood sugar as well. 

-Native Americans used for morels for food and medicine, notably to treat whooping cough.

-When foraging for morels everyone has a ‘secret spot’ but morels can be found in backyards, flowerbeds, under ash trees, elm trees, oak trees, dying limbs, thorn bushes, and even fruit trees.  

-There are nearly 70 known species of morels in the world, around 30 of those are located in North America.

-According to the State of Michigan as of 2024, more people go out hunting for morels in the Month of May then go deer hunting in November.

-When picking morels, be sure to cut them at the bottom rather than yanking them out of the ground, this keeps their root system in tact so they can regrow next season. Using a mesh bag and gently shaking your morels as you go also helps the spores fall to ground and replenish the morel population.

-The myth of the morel mushroom comes from Appalachian folklore, the story goes that a mountain family was starving, and were saved by foraging morels and eating them to survive. They called them ‘Miracles.’

This year will be the 65th Annual National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City, Michigan from May 15th-May 18th.

I have always wanted to check it out. Maybe you do to? https://www.bcmorelfestival.com/ 

Here’s one of the many hauls from this year, me and my wife love to go foraging.