Zainteresowanie zbieraniem grzybów i wiedza o nich u studentów Akademii Wychowania Fizycznego w Białej Podlaskiej – czy jesteśmy jeszcze mykofilami?

Abstrakt

Polish people, are consistently classified as mycophilous. However, over the last few decades Polish society has become similar in many aspects to modern Western societies. This paper attempts to contribute an answer to the question of whether young Poles are still mycophiles. The study was conducted in Biała Podlaska, a town in eastern Poland, in a region considered to be one of the most mycophilic in our country. Interest in mushroom gathering among students of the Academy of Physical Education in Biała Podlaska was tested using a questionnaire. Ninety-five questionnaires completed online by people who gathered mushrooms were analysed. Fifty one percent of respondents gathered mushrooms no more than a few times during the season, and 33% had not gathered mushrooms during the last year. The mean number of gathered species was 5.8 (median 5). Relatives were the most important source of knowledge about mushrooms for 76% of respondents. The first teacher was predominantly the father (39%). The students' knowledge of mushrooms seems to be accurate, although quite superficial. Despite declared interest in mushrooms, participation in mushroom picking is quite rare, and the number of species collected is low.