Damp summer weather could produce a bumper crop of fungi in the north, according to the Forestry Commission.
Experts say a good year could be on the cards for mushrooms and toadstools, with a fine crop already sprouting very early in the season.
And to celebrate the Forestry Commission is staging fungi forages in some of north east England's most spectacular woods.
They take place in:
Slaley Forest, near Hexham (22 September)
Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland (28 September)
Kielder Water and Forest Park (5 and 19 October)
Thrunton Wood, Rothbury (11 October)
Chopwell Woodland Park, Gateshead (12 October).
Last year’s record breaking rainfall raised hopes that damp-loving fungi would burst out in record numbers. But a scarcity of specimens left conservationists scratching their heads. However, signs for this Autumn look much better, said naturalist and walk leader Gordon Simpson, from West Auckland. He explained:
“Fungi are appearing in good numbers, which is a welcome change after last year’s poor show. The other day I counted 50 varieties in just one day. That’s very encouraging. But sharp eyes are needed because fungi can appear and disappear in just a few days. I’ll be showing folk where to look and how to identify the tasty from the deadly species.”
A good fungi crop not only tickles the taste buds of gourmets, who covet edible varieties like ceps and chanterelle. Many animals also enjoy a nibble, including deer, badgers, slugs and beetles. Red squirrels are known to collect fungi and stash them in the tree tops as an emergency food source. However, no one knows how they tell the harmless specimens from the toxic ones.
Gordon added to his long list of discoveries in early August by finding a fungi in Kielder never before recorded in the UK called Exobasidium pachysporium. Kew Garden in London confirmed the find and has put a specimen into its archive.
Walk meeting locations and times are:
Slaley Forest, 2pm, Ladycross Quarry, 22 Sept. Cost £3.50 adults and £1 children. Booking essential on 01434 673302. Organised by the Friends of Ladycross Quarry.
Hamsterley Forest, 11.30am and 2.30pm, 28 Sept, meet at the visitor centre, signed off the A68. Booking essential on 01388 488312. Walks cost £5 adults, £3 concessions and £12 family ticket.
Kielder Water and Forest Park (three treks): Kielder Castle, 11am, 5 October; Greenhaugh School, near Bellingham, 11am, 19 October; and Warksburn Picnic Site, 2.30pm 19 October, Stonehaugh. Walks cost £5 adults, £3 concessions and £12 family ticket and booking required on 01434 250209.
Thrunton Wood, 2pm, 11 Oct, meet main car park. Follow brown tourist information signs off the A697 just north of the intersection with the B6341 Rothbury to Alnwick road. Cost £5 adults, £3 concessions and £12 family ticket. Booking required on 01434 250209.
Chopwell Woodland Park, 2pm, 12 Oct, meet in the main car park. Jointly run with the Friends of Chopwell Wood. Cost £3 adults and £1 children. Booking required on 01388 488312.
Bring stout boots and water proofs. Dogs welcome, except on the Slaley Forest event.
NOTE TO EDITOR
Fungi live away from the sunlight under soil or tree bark and the oddly shaped organism we see above the surface is in fact the fruiting body. They are a good indicator of a thriving natural environment. IMPORTANT NOTE: Never eat any fungi unless it is positively identified as harmless. They should be picked sparingly and for personal consumption only. For more on the Forestry Commission go to www.forestry.gov.uk/NorthEastEngland
The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible in England for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woods and forests and increasing their value to society and the environment. Forestry makes a real contribution to sustainable development, providing social and environmental benefits arising from planting and managing attractive, as well as productive, woodlands