Photo: Mushroom And Moss Growth Rainforest Maquinna Marine Provincial Park

Interesting mushrooms and moss growth on a tree in the rainforest in Maquinna Marine Provincial Park in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This trail leads to Hot Springs Cove.

Mushrooms and moss grow well in the damp and dark area of this tree in the rainforest of Maquinna Marine Provincial ParkProvincial Park in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This tree is on the boardwalk trail on the way to Hot Springs Cove in the Openit Peninsula. In a rainforest environment, you can clearly see that it is damp almost all the time, and the numerous trees provide so much cover that the soil and the wood boards on the trail never really get dry. This is the perfect condition for growing all kinds of mushrooms and moss.

There are all different types of mushrooms that can grow in a rainforest, and while some of them can be delicious and can be eaten raw or taken home to cook with, it is never a good idea to pick any mushroom from a forest unless you are absolutely sure it is not poisonous. ... continue below the picture...

... There are only a few species that are deadly, but many can cause upset stomachs and even with a book telling you different species of mushrooms, it can still be hard to tell from a picture if they are ok to eat. The best thing to do is to not pick them at all and just leave them there.

Like mushrooms, moss growth also thrives in damp, darker places, and you can see here on other trees in the background, and even a little bit on the wood, that moss is everywhere in a rainforest. Some species of moss can be eaten, but it is mostly used in decoration for flowers or at Christmas time on the table. As with any visit to a rainforest habitat however, it is always best to leave the forest the same way as you found it so that you do not risk disturbing the delicate ecosystem.

Mushrooms and moss growing on a tree in the rainforest of Maquinna Marine Provincial Park along the boardwalk trail to Hot Springs Cove, Openit Peninsula, Clayoquot Sound, Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, West Coast, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.