EPPING FOREST: 'Celebrity chefs are destroying our forest' (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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EPPING FOREST: 'Celebrity chefs are destroying our forest'
4:40pm Friday 8th October 2010 in News By Edmund Tobin
Forest keeper Tristan Vetta with the latest haul of foraged mushrooms
CELEBRITY chefs who encourage mushroom picking have been named as a new problem facing the authorities in Epping Forest.
The City of London Corporation has been catching record numbers of illegal fungi pickers on its land and has said TV chefs who encourage wild foraging are partly to blame.
Senior forest keeper Jonathan Preston said: “One of the biggest problems we have got is a real issue with celebrity chefs promoting mushroom picking. Jamie Oliver and people like that.
“Epping Forest is right next to London and it's not like a forest in the middle of Dorset where you might get ten people there at the weekend.
“You can usually identify people because they're carrying plastic bags. We caught one person with five carrier bags full. We think there's a possible trend for commercial picking because a lot of what they pick is poisonous and we think they might be taking it back to a central place for sorting.”
More than 100lbs worth of mushrooms were confiscated last weekend by forest keepers in the latest crackdown on the activity.
The City of London Corporation, which maintains Epping Forest, has said the rise in fungi foragers is harming the delicate ecology of the land.
Forest services manager, Keith French said “Fungi play a vital role in the ecology of all natural habitats. They are natures recyclers as they break down organic matter from plants and animals. “Many creatures feed on fungi and they are host to some rare invertebrates that are unique to these ancient woodlands.”
The corporation carried out one prosecution for mushroom picking last year and already has six pending so far in 2010.
It has also issued around 20 formal warning to people this year.
Comments(14)
rubberneck
says...
11:53pm Fri 8 Oct 10
What a stereotype! The person may be carrying a plastic bag to pick up a doggy doo doo? Or may actually want to doo doo in the bag as there are no longer any kharzi's about?
Havering
says...
8:01am Sat 9 Oct 10
Havering
says...
8:02am Sat 9 Oct 10
inézc
says...
1:32pm Sat 9 Oct 10
everhard
says...
8:49pm Sat 9 Oct 10
Morris Hickey
says...
6:17pm Sun 10 Oct 10
word of mouth
says...
9:15pm Sun 10 Oct 10
rubberneck wrote:I wouldn't want to be walking in the woods and come acroos someone pooping in a Tesco bag.
“You can usually identify people because they're carrying plastic bags" What a stereotype! The person may be carrying a plastic bag to pick up a doggy doo doo? Or may actually want to doo doo in the bag as there are no longer any kharzi's about?
The Mushroom picking is a problem and the city of london cut backs will not help matters.
Mogsta
says...
7:56am Mon 11 Oct 10
Quickexit
says...
12:38pm Mon 11 Oct 10
Mogsta
says...
12:55pm Mon 11 Oct 10
Quickexit
says...
4:16pm Mon 11 Oct 10
Mogsta wrote:So, the threat to the 'indigenous' population comes from hoardes of Slovakians come over here to eat all our mushrooms?
Quickexit - it is people like you ignoring the threat that will lead to the demise of the indigenous people. You may be happy to be a monority in your own country, but I am not.
everhard
says...
8:49pm Mon 11 Oct 10
Redfox
says...
9:54am Mon 25 Oct 10
A good example would be about "loose" or broken wood & branches. Fires & barbeques is another. My particular wish for a new bye-law would be to see the complete ban on speeding cyclists & competitive cycle racing (yes there actually is some!) promoted by the cycle shop at Highams Park. BUZZ ORF and take your chances on the Epping 'Death Mile' High Road.
Eppingforest1234 says...
6:38pm Fri 8 Oct 10