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.