The Lost and Found Fungi Project

We know that there are many species of fungi in the UK (around 15000 at the last count), but for many we have little idea about where they are or even whether they have become extinct. This project will focus on fungi that have been rarely recorded from our region, carrying out targeted surveys to establish whether they are still there, and if so whether they are genuinely rare or merely under-reported. These abandoned species are currently lost, and hopefully many will be found as a result of project actions. Their conservation will then be promoted in partnership with local specialists and stakeholder groups. The project has run for six years from 1 July 2014 and was managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, funded by a very generous donation from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The project has now come to the end of its funded phase, but new reports of the species are still welcome: they should be submitted to the relevant recording schemes. 

For more information on the project, its background, partners and approach, follow this link or those in the icons below. If you want to get involved, or have any queries about the project, the target species, or how to look for them, please email info@kew.org. You can also find lots of information on our Facebook and Twitter sites.

   

Non-lichenized Ascomycota

Rusts, smuts, and allies

   

Larger Basidiomycota

Lichens and lichenicolous fungi

                              

Development of this information resource is taking place in association with:

                              

Species to look out for this month

Entoloma bloxamii sensu lato in GB&I

Fungi associated with old or ancient trees

LAFF news

 LAFF in Kew's State of the World's Fungi report

  LAFF in the Grow Wild Blog

  The final year of the Lost and Found Fungi project - Kew Science Blog

  LAFF appearing in the Kew Science Blog

Non-Sensitive Records (to 03 Dec 2019)

Project Stats

Meet the LAFF Team!

#LAFF100 Fungi

Brian Douglas - Community Fungus Survey Leader for the Lost and Found Fungi project

Oliver Ellingham - Community Fungus Survey Technician for the Lost and Found Fungi project

Paul Cannon - Senior Research Leader, Identification & Naming (Mycology)

Martyn Ainsworth - Senior Research Leader, Identification & Naming (Mycology)

  Species by broad habitat categories
Coastal
Grassland and meadows
Upland to montane
Parkland to woodland
Wet heath to wetlands

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith