By Peter Lindsey
The indiscriminate picking of thousands of mushrooms and other species of fungi is having a serious impact on the biodiversity of Ashdown Forests’ protected landscape. With the onset of Autumn – traditionally the foraging season – the Conservators are appealing for more protection for fungi in a bid to stop the commercial foragers who strip acres of the Forest of fungi to sell to restaurants and the food industry.
Head of Countryside Ash Walmsley said:
“Every year we have reports of people loading large bags of fungi into vans. We are concerned that even the inedible and rare species are collected – so of no use to the restaurant trade – but every fungus is essential to the Forest. We see swathes of the Forests’ woodland stripped of all fungi, it is really upsetting to see areas that should be full of mushrooms completely bare.”
Ashdown Forest is home to many fungi species and can include extremely rare species like Tiered Tooth Fungus. This large species is on the UK conservation red list for being at risk of extinction, so efforts are made to keep the location of the fungus a secret. Sadly, it too is extremely vulnerable to indiscriminate commercial picking.
Chief executive Mark Pearson said:
“Our team does its best to protect and monitor the sites where commercial foragers are known to operate, but with a vast area to cover we need help from our visitors too. We’re asking anyone who sees any large scale, suspicious activity involving the theft of fungi to contact the Forest Centre. Taking fungi for commercial purposes is illegal under the Theft Act 1968 but the fines are not big enough to deter the foragers. We would support any moves to increase the penalties for commercial foraging.”
Mark added:
“Foraging for wild food including fungi has become increasingly popular in recent years and is often viewed as a way to eat for free. But in some places the practice of “excessive foraging” has started to have an impact on wildlife and the landscape. We want all visitors to be able to see, enjoy but not touch the amazing variety of weird and wonderful fungi that we have in Ashdown Forest”.
Fungi Facts
- Fungi are in a kingdom of their own but are closer to animals than plants
- They have chemicals in their cell walls shared with lobsters and crabs
- A fungus has been discovered capable of breaking down plastics in weeks rather than years
- At least 350 species are consumed as foods including truffles, which can sell for thousands of dollars apiece, quorn, and those in marmite and cheese
- Fungi are being used to turn crop waste into bioethanol (a renewable alcohol fuel)
- DNA studies show that there are thousands of different fungi in a single sample of soil, many of which are unknown and hidden – so-called “dark taxa”
