I Am Conservation

Cici Tompkins and her brother Charles Tompkins, both of St. Louis, hunt mushrooms at Meramec State Park. The pair has been hunting for two years and Cici searches for a variety of edible mushrooms including morels, chanterelles, chickens, hens and lobsters. ”I like cooking. That is my main motivator; edible things. Although it’s still fun to find a variety and try to identify them even if they aren’t edible.” She has created recipes for chanterelle and garlic pizza as well as chanterelle lasagna. ”They have much more flavor than store-bought, and you have the enjoyment of finding your own food. It’s a very accessible pastime and anyone can do it.”

—Photo by David Stonner