Wesley Price is a fungi, er, fun guy.

Over the course of 15 years, the Cape Cod resident has developed the unusual hobby of mushroom hunting — searching the fields, woods and wetlands of New England for interesting fungi.

On Saturday, the amateur mycologist (someone who studies fungus) led a walk through the woodlands of Church’s Field, a property of the Rochester Land Trust.

Price said his interest in mushrooms started when he was a kid.

“I used to collect Smurfs when I was younger, so maybe it came from that,” joked Price.

More accurately, Price said what sparked his fungal fascination was an epiphany he had one day while walking in the forest.

“At the base level, fungi are what’s necessary for the environment. They’re what connects everything in a lot of ecologies,” he said.

While fungus can get a bad rap, Price told the group that only three percent of the world’s fungi are deadly poisonous.

“Where you have a lot of fungus, you usually have a good ecosystem,” he said. “No fungus has ever been described that will eat your flesh.”

Still, that doesn’t mean most fungi are good to eat. The age and variety of a species can determine if it is safe for consumption.

Many fungi are difficult to identify and so fall under the category of LBM, little brown mushroom, said Price.

“I only eat the ones I absolutely know,” said Price. “The diversity of the fungal kingdom is absolutely incredible.”

Church’s Field was no exception. After Price turned the novice fungus finders loose, they quickly began uncovering dozens of mushroom species, from neon slime mold to intricately striped varieties like the Turkey Tail.

By sharing what he’s learned about mushrooms, Price said he wants to cultivate a respect for nature.

“Out of knowledge, grows conservation and awareness,” said Price.

For more information on local mushrooms, visit Wesley Price’s blog at mushroomocean.blogspot.com.