A great ‘spore’ for England!
Friday 11th June 2010
As the eyes of the world focus on the first football fixture of the tournament, keen-eyed conservationists are already celebrating a special goal for England – the first sighting of a rare fungus - multiclavula vernalis. And, despite the difference in size, its similarity to the World Cup has not gone unnoticed!
Keith Blackmore, assistant reserves and grazing project officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, found the small patch of tiny, orange, club-shaped fungi on a site owned and used by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for army training.
Samples were sent to the head of mycology at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who confirmed their identity as multiclavula vernalis, a fungus rare in the British Isles and never recorded in England before. It is usually found in colder climes, either nearer the Arctic Circle or in mountainous regions. In the British Isles, it has been recorded only in the Outer Hebrides and the Shetland Isles.
Keith Blackmore said: “I knew it was a very unusual discovery when I saw it but I didn't know exactly what it was. Having sought expert advice, I'm really thrilled to find out it's an exciting first for England. It's a great addition to the flora and fauna that already exists on these wonderful wildlife reserves.”
It appears that the management carried out by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, and its partners Plantlife and the MoD, has created the ideal conditions for spores that have drifted in on the wind, to settle and grow.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, which looks after the site, will be keeping an eye on it to see if it continues to inhabit this area or spreads. The Grazing for Wildlife Project is a partnership between the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Ministry of Defence. It is working to benefit wildlife on the Defence Training Estate in north and east Hampshire by introducing conservation grazing and undertaking practical habitat management.
Story by RSWT