Fungi are often called the Forgotten Kingdom. Although fungi underpin life on Earth, they have been overlooked and underappreciated and largely excluded from conservation strategies and environmental laws. In the UK there are well over 5000 species of larger fungi and more are being discovered on a regular basis. Through the RCT Action for Nature Plan and local groups such as Glamorgan Fungus Group and Coal Spoil Fungi we hope this will change in the future!

Fungi are very diverse in form and habitat. They include microfungi, 'Mushrooms and Toadstools', Rusts and other types of fungi found on plants. Most people will probably be familiar with Fly Agaric – red cap with white spots – found in many children's books. These usually grow in association with Birch trees and at times can be found in Aberdare Park and elsewhere in RCT. Another red fungus appearing in the winter months is Scarlet (or Ruby) Elfcup. This can be often found in profusion on dead moss covered wood in damp locations. A green cup fungus Green (or Emerald) Elfcup is also found on dead wood but more often the green staining of the wood is seen. A frequent crust fungus in the winter is Cobalt Crust occurring on many different types of substrate – RCT seems to be a hotspot for this! Waxcaps come in a variety of often vivid colours and can be found in unimproved pastures, old churchyards and sometimes in lawns.

The resilience of fungi species in RCT is threatened by inconsiderate use of fungicide and herbicide, tree planting schemes on waxcap grassland and loss of veteran trees, to name just a few. We can take steps to learn more about and protect fungi in RCT. Some ideas for actions are listed below.