Ever been walking in the woods, spotted some delicious looking wild mushrooms and wondered if they were edible?

Because a few wild mushrooms are deadly and many more are mildly poisonous, mushroom gathering is not an activity for the uninformed.

For that reason and because there are so many wonderful mushroom varieties in our region, Central Park N.C.is sponsoring a wild mushroom foraging workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Participants will visit an old growth forest in Montgomery County.

Asheville’s Alan Muskat, known to many as the “Mushroom Man,” will lead the foraging expedition. A graduate of Princeton University, Muskat is the author of “Wild Mushrooms: A Taste of Enchantment” and currently serves on the faculty of the Appalachian School of Holistic Herbalism.

“Foragers will learn how to safely find, identify, and maybe even sample the elusive delights,” said Muskat. “We will be looking for fragrant chanterelles and sumptuous morels; giant puffballs and purple fairy fans.”

“Participants will also learn about medicinal mushrooms, dyeing with mushrooms (that’s D-Y-E) and more — all with the Mushroom Man’s unique blend of poetry, stories, wit and wisdom,” said organizer Anne Pärtna, STARworks garden manager and organizer of the event “It will be a short, easy walk and all ages welcome.”

Each member of the group will receive “Wild Mushroom Tasting,” a 42-page introductory e-book and Wild Mushroom Identification Program.

Space is limited, and preregistration is required. The cost is $45. Participants should bring their own food and water.

To register, e-mail Pärtna at anne@starworksnc.org, or call (336) 356 9551; send a check for $45 made payable to Central Park NC, P.O Box 159, Star, NC 27356 or call (910) 428-9001 to pay via credit card. Registration deadline is July 26.