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After watching news bulletins about hikers getting lost in the woods, I wanted to determine if a person could survive on the plants and mushrooms available in a Massachusetts forest. I read an article in the local newspaper about the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, the state's first bioreserve, primarily located in the city of Fall River. The bioreserve is a 13,600-acre parcel that permanently protects a large forested and wetland landscape with plant, fungus, and animal species that can be found elsewhere in New England. It seemed like an ideal place to test my idea.
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My observations would be limited to the autumn season. I needed to determine what plants and mushrooms were available, where they were located in the forest or its wetland areas, and how to distinguish which plants and fungi were edible or poisonous. On September 18, 2002, I attended a walk with Dan Herzlinger, education coordinator for the Westport River Watershed. The guided tour gave me a bird's-eye view of the bioreserve, which has been preserved for public use and enjoyment.
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