WildNet - Les Binns
Fantastic Fungi Focus
Get ready for our next count, in October 2024
Welcome to our Fantastic Fungi Focus!
Fungi play an important role within our soil ecosystems, helping to recycle nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter, and providing food and shelter for different animals. Understanding more about their distribution and abundance is really important, but possibly even more so in our woodland habitats as it tells us a lot about the health of that woodland. A healthy woodland will have a wide variety of fungi that permeate the soils below ground, interacting with tree and other plant roots (mycelium) and connecting the whole in what is known as a mycorrhizal network.
This autumn, we need you to get out recording fungi in woodland environments (just woodlands for now). So, wrap up in a snuggly coat, grab the kids, family or friends for some fungi fun and see what you can find!
Did you know? Genetically speaking, fungi are more closely related to animals than plants.
Here's just a few you need to be on the look out for
What do I do now?
Our Fantastic Fungi Focus count runs each October. Keep your eyes peeled for the next count in 2024! Why not join iNaturalist and get practicing with the app in preparation?
Step 1 - Download iNaturalist
If this is the first count you are doing, then you'll need to set yourself up on iNaturalist first. It's super easy, just follow the steps below!
Create an iNaturalist account at inaturalist.org or by downloading the iNaturalist or Seek app.
Via the web page
• Click on the Sign Up button
• You can create a username and password specifically for iNaturalist or sign in with a social media account
• That’s it! You’ll then see a welcome message.
• Join the Fantastic Fungi Focus project here. Then when October 2024 comes around, you'll be ready to submit your sightings and photos!
Downloading the app
You can go through the same process by downloading the iNaturalist app. Don’t forget – you can create an account with the Seek app also if you want some extra help with ID.
Need some help? We've got you covered. Check out our help page on iNaturalist below.
Step 2 - Wait until October, then download your pack
When the time comes, download your pack and get counting!
Remember, we want you to record just fungi that you find in woodlands for now. Any fungi at all, but just in woodland habitats.
More resources
