Document Type
Lesson Plan and Materials
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This lesson invites students to explore Swedish mushroom hunting as both a cultural and environmental philosophy. Through a mix of mini lectures, storytelling, and outdoor experiential learning, students first learn about Allemansrätten (Sweden’s Right of Public Access) and how mushroom hunting evolved from post-war necessity to modern well-being practice. Students then reconstruct “a day in the forest” to reinforce the lecture’s key points about stewardship, secrecy, and serenity before participating in a quiet “hunt” activity in Pine Park.
By engaging curiosity first and empathy second, students come to understand that mushroom hunting is not only about harvesting food but about maintaining balance with the environment. They end by reflecting on their own places of calm or renewal on a college campus, drawing parallels between Swedish traditions and their personal sense of stewardship.
Included in
Environmental Studies Commons, Food Studies Commons, International and Area Studies Commons
Comments
Swedish Mushroom Hunting Philosophies © 2025 by Kelly Zreloff is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0