Did you know that Autumn time is absolutely perfect for foraging mushrooms. Ros Southern is known to have a regular rummage around for magnificent mushrooms with her family up at Forestry England’s Slaley Forest, taking them home to cook up all sorts of fantastic feasts.

Ros’ visits sparked some intriguing conversations in the office, and we researched some very interesting facts: -

• There are roughly 15,000 wild fungi in the UK, all unique and interesting, some offering nutritional and medicinal benefits, with others being just plain dangerous!
• There are currently just over 2000 mushrooms classed as edible…ceps and chantarelles are the only ones Ros and her family dare to eat.
• They are not plants….in fact scientists now believe (for a number of weird and wonderful reasons) that fungi are genetically closer to animals and humans than plants. Like animals and humans, they breathe in oxygen and give our CO2 and they don’t need sunlight to reproduce (which plants do), instead they rely on other organisms for food (as animals and we do!).
• Some mushrooms glow in the dark. In India, the latest glowing species to be discovered is so bright, they are used as natural torches!
• Fungi are one of the most diverse organisms on Earth, they play a significant role in our world and are vital for the ecosystem…
• ….and they communicate with trees! Underground, roots of plants, trees and fungus create a vast “network” or “web” of roots, and this allows for nature to intertwine, communicate and create and support habitats for each other, exchanging sugars, nutrients, water and more - essential for function and survival. It appears that by staying connected, plants can provide mutual support and help shape the ecosystems they inhabit. How very civilised!