As part of our work to restore the structure and habitats of our Ancient Woodland it’s important we know what Fauna and Flora is already exists. The first thing to do is establish a baseline to see what we already have. We can then see what changes as a consequence of the many projects we carry out to improve our wood. We started mapping our Fungi in the Autumn of 2023 and now plan to carry that on this autumn, 2024.
Fungi is an extremely important part of the structure of any woodland. It is fundamental to decay and regeneration of species that form the basis of our woodland habitats. Much the largest part of Fungi is underground. It forms webs and mats of growing threads called Mycelium. What we see above ground are the fruits of the Fungi, as mushrooms, toadstools, bracket fungi etc.
We had a great team of volunteers last year to help with the Autumn survey. This year we’re planning to hold surveys in September, October and November. If there is capacity we might be able to run more survey sessions. Actual dates will be agreed with our Fungi Survey Group (FSG) shortly.
If you are experienced with identifying fungi, and would like to join our FSG, that would be very helpful. Please contact Graham Dean, grhmdean@hotmail.co.uk.
As a small test there are 6 photos of common fungi found in the wood. If you can identify them, or most of them, that might indicate you have the level of experience needed to join our FSG. Hope you enjoy having a go at identifying the species below, common name and/or Latin name will do. Then send your answers to Graham at the email above.
