Ep 77 - The FUNgi Guy & British Mycological Society

In this wonderfully nerdy, joyful episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma are joined by Holly, the charismatic fungi educator behind The Fungi Guy. With warmth, wit, and humility, Holly shares his journey from amateur forager to fungi ambassador, describing how a single walk in the woods sparked a lifelong obsession. Together, they explore the wonder of mushrooms through storytelling, personal discovery, and Forest School practice—from kids exploding puffballs to adult mycophobia and fungal folklore. The conversation weaves through habitat loss, playful education, slime mould magic, death cap debates, and the irresistible lure of waxcaps. With tales of puffball football, stinkhorn races, and mushroom open-mic nights, this episode is as spore-packed as it is soul-nourishing.⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Singing the theme tune and meeting Holly (The Fungi Guy)01:55 – UK Fungus Day, British Mycological Society, and making fungi fun03:40 – From trees to toadstools: Lewis and Gemma’s fungi journey05:10 – Holly’s first fungi walk and discovering it never ends08:52 – Fruit bodies, outreach, and why fungi will outlive us all12:24 – Puffballs, poetry nights, and children's reactions to spores15:53 – Mushrooms as magnetic to children—and risky to adults19:52 – Habitat loss, ancient grasslands, and fungal conservation22:39 – Ink caps, IDing mushrooms, and the impact of human landscaping30:48 – Levity, access, and breaking down barriers in outdoor learning🌲 Keywords: fungi education, Forest School fungi, puffball spores, mushroom ID, mycology for kids, mushroom safety, waxcaps UK, habitat loss, slime mould, UK Fungus Day, The Fungi Guy, stinkhorns, puffball football, mushroom outreach, child-led learning, playful science, outdoor learning inspiration🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #FungiGuy #FungiEducation #OutdoorLearning #MushroomID #MycologyForKids #ChildLedLearning #ForestSchoolPodcast #UKFungusDay #NatureBasedLearning #Puffballs #PlayfulLearning #SlimeMouldMagic🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at ⁠www.theforestschoolpodcast.com⁠Support the show and join our community at ⁠www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast⁠For questions, feedback, or collaboration: ⁠[email protected]