Other Events

Guided Fungi Walk 2023

Sunday 19th November 2023

We were delighted to assist Em Robinson lead a fungi walk around our wood. Em came to talk about fungi at our AGM in 2023 and has since started leading walks where she is based in London - all sold out! As far as we know, there are no other guided fungi walk events happening in our area, and Em, who worked for several conservationist charities, conducts surveys for her local nature reserves regularly so we were excited for the experience to come. Em imparted a wealth of knowledge at every stop, we were fascinated to discover how many different types can be found in such a small space and we observed more than 20 species! (plus more on the walk back, birds nest for example, eeeek!). It was our delight to see people revel in wonderful nature and connect with our green space; it was a wholly informative and enjoyable experience. We discovered Rosy bonnet, bonnet mold (on the brown mushroom), Olive shaggy parasol being sniffed, and Dog stinkhorn framed with a grin. The full list of fungi we found is below and more photos on our Instagram page. You can follow learn more in bitesize snippets by following Em's blog at Fight for Wildlife

• Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis)
• Collared earthstar (Geastrum triplex)
• Wood blewit (Clitocybe nuda)
• Olive shaggy parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes C. olivieri)
• Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
• Common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)
• Dog stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus)
• Jelly ears (Auricularia auricula-judae)
• Common bonnet (Mycena galericulata)
• Common earthball (Sceleroderma citrina)
• Candlesnuff (Xylaria hypoxylon)
• Common jelly spot (Dacrymyces stillatus)
• Yellowing curtain crust (Stereum subtomentosum)
• Dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha)
• Egg shell slime mold (Leocarpus fragilis)
• Bonnet mold (Spinellus fusiger)
• Powderpuff bracket (Postia ptychogaster)
• Deer mushroom (Pluteus cervinus)
• Crystal Brain (Exidia nucleata)
• Hoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
• Tawny funnel (Paralepista flaccida)
• Rosy bonnet (Mycena rosea)

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Tree Planting 2023

Sunday 15th January 2023

There are two areas of our wood that, in the last few years, had a lot of poorly and dangerously aged trees so they had to be safely cut down, leaving wide open clearings. In 2022 we replanted what we call area 1 and this year we secured more funding to replant area 2! Thanks to our committee member Roger for hard work on that funding application. Five of the committee, plus a family member roped in, turned out to get the trees in the ground quickly after they were delivered and at their best. The soil is sandy in general (hence the name Sandy Lane!) but each year when leaves fall, they break down into a beautiful mulch and this area had been untouched for 30 years! It was bouncy and soft to walk on and smooth and fun to dig into. We had 4 small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) which is much less common in England than it used to be, and 8 field maple (Acer campestre) in a standard size, so once planted they made an instant visual impact on the area. Maple is a native tree that can tolerate a range of soil and light conditions so they should get on well, they’re also resilient to disease and all the trees were fitted with guards and mulch mats to improve their chances of survival. It was a pleasure to be involved in the regeneration of this unique woodland and we will enjoy seeing the trees grow, for the benefit of our children and their children.

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