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Fungi to be with was formed in the early 1990's to fulfill a role that up until that time and even now is scarcely covered. That role was to help the interested people of Greater London and the home counties, with an emphasis on fungi, connect/reconnect with the natural environment surrounding them. The word foraging has taken on a whole new identity and is now a very different and more popular activity to what it was when I began Fungi To Be With, therefore I feel I need to draw a distinction between the more recent foraging phenomena/trends and the activities of Fungi To Be With. Fungi To Be With is about documenting, educating and introducing members of the public to the world of fungi in all of its forms be they edible or toxic, big or small, dull or colourful. This is achieved via, forays and beginners workshops. Foraging today and in the round, concerns seeking out all edible plants, fungi and even roadkill, for personal or commercial gain, with barely, if any, scientific value to it at all. FTBW plays an important role in bridging the gap between old and new scientific approaches. It is a vehicle by which people can interact with their natural environment, become more intimate with it and therefore nurture and care for it. As opposed to people feeling disconnected and therefore alienated from their natural environment, resulting in a lack of understanding and care, a true and real danger, where people are divorced from this intimacy. Many of the worlds celebrated figures and leading experts in fields such as Birds, Animals, Insects and Plants became so through a hands on interaction with their given subject. This is no different with Fungi and I have rewardingly seen over the years certain people who have joined the walks, becoming more and more interested and knowledgable in the subject. The walks and workshops that I run are just one way of reaching out to find these people, and with the paucity of mycologists and taxonomists in this country, they represent a vehicle that is sorely needed. When I first became interested in mushrooms, during the 1980's I took it upon myself to begin the long process of getting to know these unusual organisms. Following my initial forays into the fungi world I realised the need for 'fungi to be with'. "How many other people, like me, were looking for an introduction to the mushrooms that they came across whilst out walking?" Some 15 years or so on and fungi to be with now has an established affiliation with the British Mycological Society (BMS) and is recognised as the longest standing, London Fungus Group. Some of the collections of fungi, made by foray attendees and myself, are deposited at the herbarium in Kew Gardens. Species lists are drawn up following each foray, which are then given over to the governing bodies of the areas in which the forays take place, providing an ongoing record of the fungi that occur or re-occur in those areas over time. For instance, the recording of the fungi of Hampstead Heath began in 1996 and together with the addition of other sites, such as Epping Forest and Wimbledon Common, this continual recording has been helping to produce a clearer picture of the distribution of fungi across the home counties and in London's parks and woodlands. In this day and age of dwindling taxonomic expertise the need for this kind of work is greater than ever. You can read yearly reviews of the seasons 2002-2011 by visiting the archive page.
Records from Hampstead Heath and The Kenwood Estate rose to 521 species in 2011, with some excellent new records for both the Heath, Kenwood and the county of Middlesex. The species database can be viewed by visiting the Archive page, link - Hampstead Heath Survey. All species of basidiomycete are linked to the existing checklist for Great Britain and Ireland. Just click on the species name and you will be taken to the checklist where you will find more information on nomenclature, status, distribution and habitat.
Twitter with 'fungi to be with' and lets talk fungi Follow @fungitobewith
NEW this year is the unique experience of the Fungi Boutique. The event encapsulates and combines the fungi to be with forays ( 1.5- 2 hours) and beginners workshop, together with exquisite fungi morsels and wine, in the relaxed, comfortable setting of the authors own home.
The numbers following the dates, indicate remaining places. Otherwise if not fully booked then there are plenty of spaces still available. Spring Forays, & Fungi Workshops for beginners 2012 Saturday 12th May: Fungi Workshop for Beginners
Saturday 15th September: Foray - Hampstead Heath- Saturday 22nd September: Fungi Workshop for Beginners - Hampstead Heath- Sunday 23rd September: Foray - Puttenham Common, Surrey-
Autumn Forays and Workshops 2012 Sat 29th September - Fungi Boutique - Hampstead ( see above for details) Sunday 30th September:Foray - Epping Forest Saturday 6th October:Fungi Workshop for beginners-Hampstead Heath,London- Sunday 7th October: Foray -Wimbledon Common, Surrey-fully booked Saturday 13th Oct: Foray - New Forest, Hampshire- Sunday 14th October: Foray - Puttenham Common, Surrey- Saturday 20th October: Beginners Fungi Workshop - Hampstead Heath, London- Sunday 21st October: Foray - Epping Forest, London- Saturday 27th October: Foray - Wimbledon Common, Surrey- Sunday 28th October: Foray - New Forest, Hampshire- Sat 3rd Nov - Fungi Boutique - Hampstead ( see above for details) Sunday 4th November: Breakfast Foray - Hampstead Heath, London- Saturday 10th November: Beginners Fungi Workshop - Hampstead Heath, London- Sunday 11th November: Foray - Epping Forest, London/Essex-
All forays start at 10am and finish around 2pm. (Except for the Breakfast Foray - 8.30am start) If you are on the mailing list you will receive a booking form in Jan/Feb for the spring/summer activities and in August for autumn, either by email or post.
Picture by Anni Burnell |
