Dandelions, spring beauties and coltsfoots are among the first wild plants to sprout into bloom each spring at Mingo Creek County Park, but a fleshy fungi that will be popping up over the next couple of weeks will be the object of a search by hundreds of mushroom lovers. The Washington County Department of Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club will play host to the fourth annual Morel Madness Weekend planned for Saturday and May 1 at the sprawling 2,400-acre outdoor recreational site. Morels are described as edible ascomycete mushrooms that resemble a sponge on a stalk. But for those who have developed a taste for them, they are simply seen as a tasty treat -- a delicacy. According to Cristine Emery, recreation program coordinator for the parks department, approximately 200 people turned out last year to hunt for the morels "and we're expecting a larger turnout this year." "With rain predicted for this weekend, the morels will be popping up," she emphasized. John Plischke, a mycologist and past president of the mushroom club, noted the morel weekend at the Mingo Park, located off Route 136 near Monongahela, is probably the biggest morel foray on the eastern side of Michigan. "And it's growing in popularity," the Greensburg resident emphasized. "A lot of time for park programs, maybe 10 people will show up. Last year we had people from seven different states registered. Morel Madness Weekend is not just a half-hour program, but we're talking from morning to night and then into the next morning if you want." "Many eat wild mushrooms," he continued, "and most are very, very delicious. There are all different types of fungus -- some very delicious, some very harmful. and that's where our educational programs come into view. We have experts to show and tell the difference." His son, John Plischke III, a nationally known mushroom expert and one of the country's top mushroom photographers, will be one of those on hand to assist with the programs. As for the popularity of mushrooms, Plischke said, "I would take a guess that a million people will be out hunting morels in Pennsylvania over the next couple of weeks. It is a very popular mushroom and the basic reason is that they are delicious." Check-in and registration for this year's event will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Henry House (shelter 9), with a brief slide show presentation by the younger Plischke to get under way at noon. The program will identify the morels and their poisonous look-alikes. "We have slides of all types of mushrooms -- both the edible and poisonous -- so all will be able to go out and more safely hunt them," Plischke said. His son is viewed as the top expert in the club when it comes to identifying the fungus. "The morels are a delicacy mushroom," Emery said. "They're only out at our park for approximately two to three weeks each spring -- usually the last week of April and the first week or two in May." She is quick to add that Mingo Creek Park "is polluted with them" and has become a favorite site for morel hunts. "Everyone sort of has their own secret spot, and they grow back in the same place year after year. They can even grow back in the same year within that two- to three-week period." She suggested using a mesh bag when collecting so that the spores spread after picking so more can grow. "Even though Mingo Park is classified as a wildflower preserve, people are allowed to collect fungus and mushrooms because, when you pick them, it actually helps to spread the spores for future growth," she explained. Plischke identified Mingo Creek Park as an ideal site for the growing of mushrooms and especially the morel. "It's the trees," he said. "Morels are most productive around the larger and older trees. The ground around abandoned apple orchards, tulip poplar trees and dying elms are ideal sites, and Mingo is just loaded with thousands of dying elm trees, so it has a tremendous abundance of morels." "The park typically is a perfect place to hunt for morels because of the habitat," Emery added. "I found more than a pound before. In fact, I found about 100 of them in one day. If you get really lucky, you can come across a patch of 50, and that's just like bliss -- gold mine -- for a mushroom hunter. The morels are very good -- better than the portobello, I think. "Because they are so good, most people who find them will eat them, but some will want to find them to sell them. I'm not sure what they go for now, but a couple of years ago morels were selling for more than $300 a pound. If you were to find a buyer at a restaurant or down in a Pittsburgh's Strip market, you could get a lot of money for a day's work." Those joining in the madness weekend, will be sent out on hunting excursions following the slide presentation. Mushroom fanciers can either go in search on their own or in a group. Collection and identification tables will be set up to share the collections of the returning hunters. "The experts will identify each," Emery said. "On any given hunt we probably have close to 100 different kinds of mushrooms turned in and the mycologists identify each for the safety of it." Following the identification process, some will join in the cooking and sampling of the delicacies during the "free time" from 6 to 8 p.m. From being sauteed in a butter and garlic sauce and eaten with a grilled steak to being whipped in with scrambled eggs, Emery admitted the recipes vary. Beginning at 8 p.m., John Plischke III will share his widely renowned wild edible mushroom slide program at shelter 8. A social time around a campfire will round out the day's activities. The Sunday morning activities will begin at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast served in shelter 8. A second mushroom hunt to close out the madness weekend will get under way at 9 a.m. and wrap up at noon. According to Jeff Donahue, superintendent of recreation, overnight camping is being offered with tent camp permitted in designated areas. For those wishing to camp in RVs or pop-up campers, a paved parking lot is being made available. There is a $5 fee per campsite, and firewood and water will be provided; however, there will be no electrical hookups. Donahue suggested those participating may want to bring the following items: fungi field guides, collecting baskets, knife, walking stick, and clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather. Advance registration for the overall program is required at 724-228-6867, and there is a $5 fee for the weekend.

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