PSA For Australian Hunters (Hint: Don't eat the mushrooms you find)

I've seen a recent increase in posts from Australians on this sub.

Wanted to share a general PSA:

FORAGING IN AUSTRALIA IS NOT LIKE FORAGING ELSEWHERE.

The vast majority of mushrooms in Australia are not well documented.

While many species are known to science, there has never been a concerted effort in Australia to understand the edibility of mushrooms. Even with known species, it is usually the case that toxicity, edibility, and recreational impacts are unknown.

Australian mushrooms are the wild west. There is very little scientific information about safety.

Remember: Australia separated from the rest of the world a long long time ago. Just like the platypus and koala, Australian species are far removed from their cousins in Asia and South America. No one really knows what's safe.

To be clear: there are zero safe guidelines for foraging in Australia. All foraging is unsafe.

Mushrooms have look-alikes. Unless you're truly expert, there is no way to confidently identify any species as there has never been any holistic research into Australian look-alikes.

Roughly 20 people die every year from mushroom foraging in Australia, which is far greater than any other place, due to the lack of information about mushroom safety in Australia.

Do not forage in Australia. That is the only safe advice for all mushrooms, including mushrooms that resemble active species elsewhere.

If you want magic in Australia, you should buy spores and grow at home.

Do not forage in Australia. Even mushroom experts struggle to identify Australian species due to the lack of scientific information.