• Always avoid picking mushrooms of dubious identification: the real cause of poisoning is not the mushrooms, but uninformed or overconfident mushroom pickers!

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• Do not harvest all the specimens of a particular species or location: mushrooms are the reproductive structure of the fungus, and it is necessary for some of them to be able to release their spores into the environment, guaranteeing their reproduction and future harvests.

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• Avoid collecting specimens that are too young or too old: their gastronomic value is residual and, if they are collected, they no longer fulfill their ecological function.

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• Do not destroy poisonous or gastronomically uninteresting species: all fungi are fundamental elements of the ecosystem!

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• Do not damage the vegetation, groundcover or soil: after collecting a specimen from the ground, the hole should be covered again with the surrounding soil.

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• Use suitable tools for collecting without damaging the environment: a chisel, penknife or sharp stick will allow you to remove the mushroom without affecting the substrate.

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• Transport the mushrooms in wicker baskets or perforated boxes, not in plastic bags. This way, the propagation of the spores is enhanced and the specimens collected are better preserved.

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• Avoid collecting mushrooms near industrial areas or urban perimeters, near roads with traffic or on vegetable or livestock farms: the fungi accumulate toxic compounds and heavy metals that can have consequences for human health!
   

• When consuming wild mushrooms, you should keep a specimen of each species consumed so that health professionals can act more effectively in the event of poisoning.