Fungi

It’s the fruiting bodies of fungi, Mushrooms and Toadstools to many of us, that provide the public face of fungi. We run regular Fungi Courses throughout throughout the season. For details of these courses, and to learn more about fungi view our courses below.

Fungi Function

Beer, bread and Marmite are three of life’s essentials that derive from fungi. Their ecological importance is even greater.  The range of forms, shapes, colours and life history of the 15,000 or so Fungi in the UK is endlessly fascinating. 

Species in this diverse Kingdom provide an essential function as decomposers. Without them the forest floor would be littered with persistent dead wood. Many plant species, including most trees, rely on mycorrhizal fungi for their nutrition. But fungi are also important plant pathogens. Dutch Elm Disease and Ash Dieback are perhaps the most well-known but many a gardener will have been worried at the sudden appearance of the fruiting bodies of Honey Fungus.They bring the likelihood of significant losses of trees and shrubs as their hyphae infect and cause a white rot in roots and stems.

Fungi Identification

There is no consistent definitions no rules that say whether a fruiting body should be called a Mushroom or a Toadstool. Many fungi such as Field Mushrooms and Chanterelles are deliciously edible. Many are deadly poisonous – Death Cap, Funeral Bell and Destroying Angel bear a warning in their common names. These larger fungi are mostly in the Basidiomycota and there is a parallel division of mostly smaller species, the Ascomycota, which are often called Cup or Sac-fungi. 

Fungi Courses

Our fungi courses are delivered by experts in their field, and will equip you with the skills and knowledge to discover more about Britain’s mushrooms and toadstolls. Our beginner courses are for anyone interested in discovering and exploring British fungi. You can learn how to identify the key characteristics of and acquire or improve identification skills. We do not currently offer foraging courses.

All our fungi courses and training is led by expert tutors who are passionate about the subject. Taking place at venues across the UK, or online, our courses are designed to progress your learning at a level to suit your needs. If you are interested in our amphibian online training, you can read about our Moodle learning environment.

Each course is part of a learning framework. You can see the course level descriptions here. Natural history courses are available at all levels from beginner through to professional training.

Expert tutors and a detailed knowledge of suitable locations have bought this amazing group of organisms alive and started life long interests in many people.

Fungi Identification Resources

The FSC Fungi Identification Chart is designed for speedy identification of the main groups of fungi (mushrooms, toadstools) found in gardens, grassy places and woodlands.