The ‘quiet hunt’: the significance of mushroom foraging among Russian-speaking immigrants in New York City

Urban foraging provides city dwellers with numerous ecosystem services, but this human-nature interaction is largely missing from the urban services scholarship. This exploratory study aims to address gap in literature and examines benefits values associated New York City, United States. We focus on Russian-speaking mushroom foragers, a previously unstudied community. Data 10 interviews reveals that for some groups, primarily about cultural provisioning attribute. Foraging supports multiple benefits, most notably contributions social relations, heritage, recreational experiences; these nonmaterial often intertwine material benefits. Our findings further demonstrate mutual exchange of between humans nature, including ecosystems species. Participants reported engagement stewardship practices actively maintained enhanced services. encourage future assessments recognize as an activity consider bi-directional ecosystems. To participants, was integral part their relationship natural world, intertwined relational connection kinship, love, care. results suggest can be central understanding value illustrates may practices, rather than places, work should examine links more detail.