Morel mushrooms are a curious part of our natural world, as Noëlle Zeiger observed last week, “They show up in the oddest places.”

This spring she saw one by Evanston Lighthouse Beach and the big one (pictured) she saw in a parking lot near downtown Evanston. By the looks of it, the season is at or near the end.

Be cautious about eating morels in areas that might be sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.

A reminder as the season winds down: Morel picking (and foraging in general) is prohibited at area forest preserves, park districts and dedicated nature preserves. Morel picking is allowed at many IDNR sites, but check first.

MOTW, the celebration of hunting for morel mushrooms around Chicago outdoors and their stories (the stories matter, as this one shows), runs Wednesdays in the paper Sun-Times as warranted.

To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).