The charity Plantlife has enlisted the help of 850 volunteers to look for waxcaps in places such as private gardens.
“There are more than 40 types of waxcap mushroom in the UK, and they come in a huge range of colours, from bright orange to deep violet, coral red to rich gold.
Grassland specialists, rather than woodland fungi, they appear in autumn and act as ancient meadow indicators: the more species there are in a particular spot, the more biodiverse that area potentially is.
They are most often found in well drained, undisturbed, closely grazed meadows and pastures where they exchange vital nutrients with the plants they grow in partnership with. The charity Plantlife is asking people in England, Scotland and Wales to take part in a Waxcap Watch project to identify and protect waxcap grasslands. There’s more information at plantlife.org.uk/waxcapwatch "
This year’s survey runs from 15 September to 31 December.
This time of year you can see waxcaps in abundance, creeping up the field towards you!
