Mushroom detectives wanted to track down waxcaps - The Blackdown Hills
Mushroom detectives wanted to track down waxcaps
( Last Updated: 30-09-2011 )
Local people and visitors to the Blackdown Hills are being asked to report sightings of a colourful mushroom this autumn.
Conservationists want people to let them know where waxcap mushrooms are appearing, whether it's out in the country, in churchyards or even back gardens.
Members of the public can download an ID chart and send in their sightings online at www.somersetwildlife.org/waxcapsurvey or fill in a survey card. There is also a free training session at Clayhidon village hall on Sunday 16 October for anyone who wants to learn how to identify waxcaps.
All waxcap fungi have brightly coloured caps which often have a shiny appearance and slimy feel. They come in a variety of colours, including bright pinks, reds and oranges. Waxcap fungi were once a familiar sight in the area, but they have become much more rare as the use of chemical fertilisers has increased.
The survey is being co-ordinated by the Somerset Biodiversity Partnership across the Blackdown Hills. Partnership officer Alison Slade says:
"Waxcaps are a particularly beautiful feature of the autumn landscape. By sending us their sightings, people can really help to identify hotspots so that we can work with landowners to ensure that they will still be here for future generations."
Waxcaps only appear on unimproved grassland, a habitat which is in decline in Britain. The Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has supported the survey through its Sustainable Development Fund in order to track down remaining habitats and protect them.
To book a place on the waxcap survey training or to request a survey card, call Alison Slade on 01823 652409. Survey cards are also available from Welligton Library, Hemyock Spar and the AONB office at St Ivel House in Hemyock.
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