All Episodes

October 7, 2025 44 mins

Virginia’s forests are alive with hidden treasures—and they taste delicious. From morels to chicken-of-the-woods, Virginia is a forager’s dream. 

 

Dive into the fascinating world of mushroom foraging with Gabrielle Cerberville, better known online as the “Chaotic Forager.” Gabrielle is a foraging educator, community mycologist, and the author of her debut book, “Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting, and the Seasonal Life.” 

 

You’ll learn where and when to find wild mushrooms in Virginia, how to get started safely, the rules and ethics of foraging on public lands, and why sustainability and ecological awareness matter for every forager. 

 

Gabrielle guides us through Virginia's seasonal bounty, from fall's magnificent hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and giant puffballs, to winter's resilient oyster mushrooms, spring's elusive morels, and summer's golden chanterelles that carpet the forest floor.

 

Ready to explore Virginia's wild foods? Grab your basket, a mushroom foraging knife, and your appetite for connecting with the landscape. Let’s Go!


This is Part 2 of a two-part episode.


Follow VAOA Podcast:

Instagram I Facebook I Newsletter Sign Up
Support the Show! Buy Me A Coffee

Shop the Virginia Outdoor Adventures Merch Store!

VAOA Podcast is Sponsored by:

Virginia Association for Parks

Breaks Interstate Park

Virginia State Parks

Heart of Appalachia 


Advertisers:

Visit King George

Episode 79 – Virginia’s Adventure Towns: King George


Mentioned in this Episode:

Connect with Gabrielle Cerberville: Instagram I Facebook I Website

Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting, and the Seasonal Life (Preorder the Book from your local bookseller)

North American Mycological Association

New River Valley Mushroom Club

Blue Ridge Mycological Society

The Mycological Association of Washington (DC)

Mushroom Expert.com

Go Forth and Forage by Appalachian Forager

Southeastern Mushrooms

Book Release Party at New Dominion on Oct 24


Fan Mail - Send Jessica a Text Message

Contact Show Host, Jessica Bowser:

jessica@virginiaoutdooradventures.com

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.