Latvian State Forests expert shares tip for locating the best chanterelle spots
Kārlis Taukačs, a senior planner at Latvia's State Forests (LVM), has shared advice on social media for using the LVM GEO app to find young forest stands where chanterelles thrive. He explains that the mushrooms grow best in bright, moderately damp forests aged 20 to 40 years.
Kārlis Taukačs, senior planner at Latvia's State Forests company (LVM), has shared a tip on TikTok to help mushroom pickers find good spots to search for chanterelles.
According to Taukačs, forest age is the key factor. Chanterelles grow most abundantly in so-called young stands — forests between 20 and 40 years old. These stands also need to be bright and moderately moist. Chanterelles also tend to favor moss, grass and sandy soil. In one video, the expert showed several well-maintained young pine stands where whole clusters of chanterelles had been found.
How to find a suitable forest
To help mushroom hunters locate such spots themselves, Taukačs explained a specific tool in another video: the LVM GEO app. Users should open the menu and, under data layers, select the "VMD MVR forest stand plan." A color-coded map then appears, and pickers should look specifically for light beige areas, which represent young stands.
By clicking on a particular stand and scrolling down, users can view further details, including the species and age of the stand. If the forest's parameters match the conditions favorable for chanterelles, the app also offers a "route" button, allowing users to head straight to the chosen location.
