Two people who illegally harvested morel mushrooms in Jasper National Park have been charged with multiple offences. 

On May 28, 2025, Parks Canada law enforcement officials responded to reports of illegal mushroom harvesting near Lake Edith. 

As a result of their investigation, wardens charged two individuals with multiple offences, including illegal camping, having a domestic animal not under physical control and destroying natural objects. 

Media officials said Parks Canada would like to remind visitors that it is illegal to collect mushrooms, plants, berries, and animal parts (including antlers) in Jasper National Park.

“These natural materials are essential to the health of fire-affected ecosystems, contributing to soil recovery, protecting biodiversity, and serving as important food sources for wildlife,” a spokesperson said.

“Burn morels” proliferate after a wildfire event, according to amateur mycologist and host of the upcoming Robson Valley Mushroom Festival, Terry Winkler.

While fire adds a host of nutrients to the soil, it also disconnects the mycelium network—a vast, interconnected web of fungal threads found beneath the soil which connects plants and trees. In response, that network releases spores, which eventually produce a bounty of fruiting bodies, aka morels.

“Burn morels typically show up between one and three years after there’s been a fire in a conifer forest,” Winkler said.

Despite the proliferation, the ‘shrooms are still off limits in a national park. The individuals charged are due to appear in Court of King’s Bench in Jasper on August 28. 

Jasper Local staff // info@thejasperlocal.com