Nature Tripping Episode 28 - Grassland Fungi

Jo and Cathy spend this episode with National Trust project officer and ecologist Steve Hindle on the slopes of Calderdale, in what looks like an ordinary field… but isn’t.  They discuss the fascinating lives of fungi and their vital but often overlooked role in the ecosystem, not only as decomposers or parasites, but also as symbiotic partners engaged in a range of very sophisticated relationships with plants.   Steve’s partner Sarah Flood scours the field for waxcaps, pinkgills, clubs, corals and earthtongues.  Each has their own ecological niche, and all are indicators of ‘ancient grassland’, a rare habitat which Calderdale, with its challenging farming conditions, has managed to hold on to.  Landowner Liz tells of the sometimes confusing journey her and her partner took to work out the best management options for the field, the steps they are taking to protect it, and of course, her new found passion for fungi!