Fungi - Facts and Fiction QE forest park

[Chainsaw]

Hi All,

Popped along to this on Saturday there, took the wife and kids. I phoned up in the morning and they said they were fully booked but we decided to wing it anyway. As it turned out a couple of families hadn't turned up so we blagged a place :) woohoo!

The format was "Enjoy a two hour guided fungal foray in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park with fungi enthusiast Liz Holden."
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/images/blog_images/7204/DSCF0201small.jpg
Liz was great, really seemed to know her stuff and was very enthusiastic. She started off with the basics, what fungi are, what they do, how they do it and how they're of benefit. We then moved on a little she started talking at dead birch and showed the fungi types there and their uses (polyphore plasters and horseshoe tinder) we then moved on some more stopping at vatious points when someone spotted something interesting. She had a little basket with her and showed some specimens we wouldn't see. Liz then did a great demo of how the Fly Agaric gets it spots using a balloon and some wet toilet paper!

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/images/blog_images/7204/DSCF0204small.jpg

We ended up in a patch of woodland with Pine on one side, Oak on another and some mixed on another side, at this point she gave us 15 minutes to go and have a rummage to see what we could come back with, (shroom treasure hunt, kids loved it!)

The haul was amazing and all within about a 50m radius;

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/images/blog_images/7204/DSCF0208small3.jpg

All in all a great day out, great intro for a noob like myself and the kids enjoyed it too. The only bad thing was the 'go-ape' zip line above us and the shrieks and yells that go with it, still the FC have to earn a crust I suppose.

more details here (http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandStirlingQueenElizabeth ForestParkAchrayForestDavidMar shallLodgeVisitorCentreFungiFa ctsandFiction) and a few more photos here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12291227@N04/sets/72157602589858152/)

Cheers,

Alan

[bushwacker bob]

Good fun had by all! great pictures of a morning well spent.

[Scots_Charles_River]

Yeah, looked good. Tried to get my mum up there, looks like she would have enjoyed it. The ape zip line is in your face when you walk up to the centre now, yes good advertising but has spoilt the 'ethos' of the place a bit.

Nick

[Chainsaw]

It was a short and easy walk and a great talk so she probably would have. We were amongst some of the younger people there (which is a nice change!) and some people seemed to have a fair wee bit of knowledge too but were hiding it under a bushel.

The car park was rammed solid as well, had to go round a couple of times until someone left (unlike the BMW X5 driver who parked in the disabled space and him and his family hopped out and joined the tour) I guess that we have to expect loads of visitors at a visitor centre, if we want peace and quiet, we'll go elsewhere!

Cheers,

Alan

[dave k]

If you ever get the chance to do a Fungi walk with the NT in Dorset forget it. Me and the OH went along to one at Kingston Lacey last weekend. There were 3 people from the dorset fungi group who were doing the walk, and 72 (Yes 72!) people walking about, complete with screaming kids in tow running around in circles. After 5 minutes of not seeing anything (50+ people trying to crowd around a tree-stump doesn't really work) and not being able to hear anything, we gave up and popped along to the new forest instead.

NT were only interested in getting paid people to tag along on the course. The Dorset fungi people said it was only suppost to cater for 35 people max, but the NT just kept selling tickets after convincing them it was ok.

[abushcrafter]

I cant see the pics