Adam Hampton – Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

An interview with the British Mycological Society: A celebration of all things Fungi

UK Fungus Day is an annual celebration of all things fungi, organised by the British Mycological Society. The day invites people to get involved and learn more about the world of fungi through interactive events, online resources and institutions. We were lucky to speak to Professor Mark Ramsdale, about what makes UK Fungus Day and UK mycology so important.

Mark is chair of the BMS Fungal Education and Outreach Committee and head of training at the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter.

Can you tell us how the British Mycological Society began and what its mission is today?

The British Mycological Society was first active in the late 1800s, when small groups of naturalists began organising “forays among the funguses” to explore and record fungi. What began as a shared passion soon became a learned society, dedicated to advancing fungal biology, supporting research, and encouraging collaboration between scientists and enthusiasts. Today, the BMS is a community for professional and amateur mycologists and enthusiasts. It is one of the major mycological societies in the world, committed to promoting cutting-edge scientific research, fungal conservation and species recording and the provision of educational resources.

Read more about the history of BMS here

And about the society’s current strategic aims here

UK Fungus Day has been running for over a decade. What impact have you seen it make so far, and where would you like to see it go next?

UK Fungus Day has had a huge impact over the past decade, both in raising public awareness and in shaping how fungi are perceived. When it began, fungi were often seen as a niche interest. Now, thanks to the coordinated outreach, school activities, citizen science projects, and media coverage that UK Fungus Day generates each year, there’s a much greater recognition of the vital role of fungi in ecosystems, climate regulation, and even human health.

One of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed is how fungi (funga) are now being celebrated alongside plants (flora) and animals (fauna) and included in biodiversity conversations. More schools, community groups, and nature reserves are running fungus-focused events, and citizen scientists are contributing valuable records that inform policy development and strengthen fungal conservation efforts. The event has also helped inspire the next generation of mycologists by making fungi approachable, fascinating, and fun to learn about.

Looking ahead, I’d like to see UK Fungus Day expand its reach even further, engaging even more with sectors such as food, medicine, art, sustainability and technology – to show just how interconnected fungi are with our lives, and why fungal research is so important.

What are the best ways for people to get involved with UK Fungus Day and mycology as a whole?

There’s so much going on! Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced mycologist, you can join local fungus walks and forays, take part in citizen science projects like “Find-a-Fungus” on iNaturalist, or explore fungi creatively through school and community initiatives such as “Fungi Connect”. There are also talks, festivals, workshops, and exhibitions, taking place all over the UK. Or, you can simply head outdoors to photograph and learn about fungi in your own neighbourhood. The UK Fungus Day website features blogs on a range of fungus-focused topics; there’s also poetry and videos of past talks and presentations on YouTube @BritmycolsocOrgUk. However you take part, UK Fungus Day is all about discovery, and helping to grow our understanding of the fungal world.

Explore everything on offer here

Mycology appears to be gaining greater appreciation in popular science with more media, books and ID guides being written each year. Some even reaching best seller status. Why do you think this is, and do you hope to see even more coming from the discipline?

Fungi are certainly receiving more attention in popular science media now, and I think this is down to several converging factors. For a long time, fungi were a “forgotten kingdom” compared with plants and animals so they have not been on people’s radars, yet they clearly underpin many key processes. Increasingly, public interest in climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability has brought fungi into the spotlight because they are powerful agents of change.

Fungi have always inspired creative artists, and it is not hard to see why. Their biology is full of surprising and often unfamiliar elements: hidden mycelial networks that connect life underground, fruitbodies that mysteriously appear overnight, and species that can adapt their shapes in response to their environment. So, in terms of both popular science and science fiction, their unusual strategies of growth, survival, and reproduction lend fungi an aura of mystery that fuels the imagination. For many, they offer metaphors hinting at hidden connections, transformation, resilience, renewal and decay – concepts that resonate throughout storytelling and art.

It may also simply be that the extraordinary colours, forms and versatility makes them visually compelling subjects. Writers, filmmakers, and field biologists have all recognised this, producing books, documentaries, and field guides.

This cultural shift and growing awareness translate into greater public engagement, fuelling a desire for people to join fungal forays, learn identification skills, and contribute to citizen science recording schemes. As a professional mycologist, it is hugely encouraging: broader awareness of fungi feeds into conservation priorities, medical and agricultural research, and a deeper appreciation of biodiversity as a whole. I absolutely hope the momentum continues. Mycology still has countless stories to tell, and the public appetite is clearly there for more inspiring works.

What developments in mycology are you most excited about right now, and what are your hopes for the field in the future?

I’m particularly excited by the growing recognition of fungi in conservation. In the UK, species such as Waxcaps and wood-decay fungi are finally being acknowledged for their global importance, especially in ancient grasslands and forests. Protecting these ecosystems means protecting the fungi that underpin them.

At the same time, research is giving us unprecedented insight into the fundamental biology of fungi. We are beginning to unravel the molecular mechanisms that control fungal growth and development, yet there are still huge gaps in our knowledge – especially around how fungi interact with one another and how they organise into complex multicellular structures.

From a medical perspective, advances in our understanding of how fungi interact with the immune system are particularly exciting. We now know that the immune response to fungi is much more dynamic and nuanced than previously thought, and that we can use this to our advantage in treatment patients with fungal infections. On top of this, the recent discovery that some fungi host intracellular bacterial parasites which can alter their susceptibility to antifungal drugs opens up entirely new avenues for treatment of human fungal diseases.

What books would you recommend for someone just starting out in mycology? Similarly, what would you suggest for readers wanting to explore the subject further?

There are many excellent books to choose from and different reasons to look at them…

For field identification

Geoffrey Kibby (2017-2024): Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe (Vols 1 to 4)

Thomas Laessoe and Jens Petersen (2019): Fungi of Temperate Europe (Vol 1 and 2)

For stories and insights into fungal biology

Jassy Drakulic (2024): Fungi for Gardeners (RHS)

Merlin Sheldrake (2020) Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures

Nicholas Money (2024): Molds, Mushrooms and Medicines

Richard Fortey (2024): Close Encounters of the Fungal Kind – In Pursuit of Remarkable Mushrooms

Pat O’Reilly (2011): Fascinated by Fungi. Exploring the History, Mystery, Facts and Fiction of the Underworld Kingdom of Mushrooms

For younger readers with curiosity

Lynne Boddy and Ali Ashby (2023): Fungi – Discover the Science and Secrets Behind the World of Mushrooms

William Brown (2023-2025): Fungalphabet – The ABC’s of Fungi (and the more recent books in this series).

Fungi Under the Lens and Fork: An NHBS Booklist

Parasol Mushroom by S. Rae via flickr. — Parasol Mushroom by S. Rae, via flickr.

In the early stages of the average mushroom-enthusiast’s journey, there comes a time where you begin to consider where you can take the interest of fungi further. Maybe you have identified all the mushrooms in your garden and want to learn more, or maybe you’ve even been intrepid, foraging and sampling some of the edible species out there, and are left wanting more. What ‘more’ looks like to some people becomes growing your own mushrooms, making spore prints, creating your own ink from the dripping tops of an inkcap mushroom, or perhaps you may want to look down a microscope to explore the sub-perceptual world of fungal microscopy, and that’s what these books aim to facilitate.

However you choose to flesh out your interest, the books below provide an excellent guide to the next steps in mycology.

Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing and Working with Fungi

Radical Mycology is an awesome book in a very biblical sense. it inspires awe and in a more modern sense it is simply really, really cool. This book is a single man’s knowledge of all things fungi, distilled into 646 pages of rich prose, instruction and guidance. It moves through topics, that many other books have tackled in single volumes alone, in sections such as ethnomycology, culture, cultivation, medicine (*see footnote) and lab work, and does so in a way that doesn’t feel clunky or dense. I don’t think there is a topic in mycology that isn’t covered by this book in some way, and that to me makes it a unique treasure trove of knowledge. A field guide it is not, being quite large and very heavy, and it is not trying to pretend to be anything other than a treatise on the world of mycology. Filled with activities and projects that you can do yourself, it is not a passive book. It gets you interacting with and manipulating fungi, working with them in a way that you would not otherwise, and for that I think it is highly recommended for every reader, from the beginner to the professional. And if none of that takes your fancy, there is even a section on mushroom–related puns and a printout–and–play boardgame!

Growing Mushrooms at Home: The Complete Guide to Knowing, Growing and Loving Fungi

A more focussed look at cultivation and less dense than Radical Mycology, this book is primarily aimed at beginners who are looking to expand their knowledge of cultivation in its many forms, and is filled with simple, easy to follow text and beautiful images of mushrooms. It is designed to be accessible, so I would wager that this title is not suited for those of you with more experience in the field. But, for a first foray into mushroom cultivation this might be the book for you.

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation takes a deeper dive into the same topic as the previous title. The book spans from easy projects that you can do at home with very little resources, to more advanced techniques that even the most experienced mycologist would enjoy having under their belt. The book also touches on mycoremediation (using mushrooms to improve the environment, from pollutants etc.), which is a wholly worthy topic on its own and will open your eyes to the potential for individuals to change the world for the better. After all, anyone who’s anyone in mycology has tried growing mushrooms on their old clothes, right?

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms: A Companion Guide to the Mushroom Cultivator

No list of mushroom cultivation books would be complete without a title by Paul Stamets – and this one is no exception. A dated publication now, owing to its original publishing in 1988 and subsequent re-prints in 1994 and 2000, have meant this this book has taken a back seat to the new shiny covers in the field. However, this has not dulled its brilliance at all, and it remains one of the most influential books on mushroom cultivation. The book contains foundational knowledge on mushroom cultivation for the amateur grower and is still held in high regard by anyone with a slight interest in modern mushroom cultivation. A must read and a true introduction to mastering the art of mushroom cultivation.ng mycologist.

* ‘Mushroom medicine’ is a term used often in fungal–oriented literature, and sometimes quite liberally. I would be remiss to note that processes, procedures and purported effects are anecdotal and not always backed up by peer–reviewed empirical research, and in a lot of cases research is ongoing. This is not to say it is not true, it’s to say that more research is usually needed. Be aware of the legality of foraging mushrooms in your area and remember, don’t munch on a hunch! Always ID your mushrooms and if you are not 100% confident consult a professional.

Mycology shortlist: Everything you need to know as a budding mycologist

Mushrooms have always been on the fringes of both the web of life and science in general, existing in the brackets between plant and animal in the minds of many. The Kingdom Fungi has, much like its constituents, rarely burst out into the light from the dark corners of popular science, that is, until recently. The last few years have seen Fungi of all forms thrust to the forefront of popular literature and medical research, which has generated a wave of renewed interest in the big questions around our mycelial cousins (after all they are eukaryotic cells just as we are). Where do they live, what can they do for us? And how can modern science get under the bonnet (pun intended) of these elusive but ultimately extremely important organisms?

If this surge in interest has managed to pass you by, or if you are already a budding (pun also intended) enthusiast, then this non-exhaustive, short-list of books will bring you up to date on the history and present knowledge of mushrooms and touch on the cultural importance of these diverse eukaryotes.

Fantastic Fungi – Paul Stamets and other contributors

How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness & Save the Planet

No list of mushroom focussed literature would be complete without mentioning one of the most influential figures in modern mushroom science, Paul Stamets, in cohort with some of the eminent minds of modern mushroom science and opinion. This book, which accompanies the Netflix documentary of the same name, covers many of the same topics but presents them in an accessible way with full referencing should you wish to take the topic further and research in your own time. The book covers a full complement of topics, ranging from the concept of a wood wide web of interconnected trees and fungal partners, to how chemical science can harness the unique biological properties of a range of mushroom species to give us vital and useful medicines, remedial chemistries, and solutions to some of our most pressing issues in modern life including national security, combatting bioweaponry, and pollution solutions on a global scale. Each page is accompanied by rich and detailed macro–photography characterising some of the unique and beautiful forms of these organisms and will leave a distinct impression that there is a whole world out there still waiting to be explored. The book closes with a dive into the what ifs that surround looking at the world with a mycelial lens and posits some interesting theories on the very sources of human existence and our co-evolution with mushrooms itself.

In Search of Mycotopia – Doug Bierend

Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms

Hailed as ‘a natural sequel’ to Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life. In Search of Mycotopia occupies very much the same area in most people’s libraries. An in depth and developed look beneath the often-elusive veil of the field of mycology and all its intricacies, this book takes a human–centric approach to the social side of the recent explosion in citizen mushroom science and how its these people that are driving development in this field before the lumbering pharma giants are able to gain a foothold. Focussing on the open-source nature of how modern mushroom research is conducted, it covers a range of topics that may be familiar to those already interested in this field but is also highly accessible to those who have not been introduced to this dynamic and interesting world. There is more nuance to the way that questions are asked around the great potential and almost utopic ideas that are posited in other mushroom literature, but this does not make this book any less inspiring or interesting and is a great hopping on point for the first stop on the mycelium express.

Entangled Life and Entangled Life (Illustrated Edition) – Merlin Sheldrake

How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures

Entangled Life is a colourful journey through one Merlin Sheldrake’s experiences with mushrooms and the niches which they occupy in everyday life. He adopts a ‘mushroom first’ perspective while investigating the reasons why mushrooms behave and perform in the way that they do, first leading with the ‘how’s,’ before following up with the ‘whys.’ Whether this is in a commercial, foraging, or clinical setting, seemingly the mycelium themselves posit the questions surrounding their unique biology and Merlin seeks to draw out answers and clarify what makes them so special to both us and the planet. He also leans on the cultural aspects of mycology and helps clarify just how important mushrooms have been in our history and are likely to be in our future. This is an excellent book for those who want to build a strong foundation of knowledge for modern mushroom science but is also great for those who want to take a slightly deeper dive into the bigger questions surrounding mycology. The new illustrated edition is a pared-down version of the full-text version and instead replaces some of the larger passages of text with high quality macro photographs that are described in such rich detail in the original text. It is an exquisite graphic accompaniment to the original book.

Hawke Digi-Scope Smart Phone Adapter

Getting into nature photography can be a daunting prospect. What camera do you buy? Which lenses do you choose, and what size should they be? How much should you spend? These are all questions that require a good bit of thought, and rightly so. However, what if you wanted to dip your toe in at the shallow end and use equipment that you may already have lying around to take decent photos at a fraction of the price? That’s precisely where the Hawke Digi-Scope Smart Phone Adapter comes in. I decided to put it to the test by taking images of local wildlife at a variety of ranges with two of Hawke’s spotting scopes and a pair of Kite binoculars. To do this, I used the Hawke Nature-Trek 20–60 × 80 and the Nature-Trek 13–39 × 56 scopes, and a pair of Kite Ursus 8 × 32 binoculars.

Hawke have established a name for themselves as producing reliable and rugged optics for the entry to mid-level markets and this optical adapter fits nicely into that niche, giving anyone with an optical device the option to transform their optics into a camera lens, when combined with a smartphone camera.

Out of the box – first impressions

The adapter comes packaged with a small instruction manual and some small foam sticky pads to place around the aperture clamp and prevent damage to the ocular lens of the optics you are using. Made from lightweight ABS plastic, the adapter feels light in the hand but not fragile. Stated compatibility on the box is for eyepieces 23–50mm in diameter, so make sure that the optics you plan to use meet these specifications. There is also a minimum and maximum size for compatible phones (width 66–95mm), but most currently produced models should fit fine.

Ease of use

The adapter is a simple piece of kit that is designed to fit around the ocular lens of a spotting scope, microscope, telescope or, most commonly, a pair of binoculars. The spring-loaded clamp then allows you to place your phones rear camera to the eyepiece and align them, in essence creating an inexpensive camera and physical lens arrangement. This will then allow your smartphone to take photos at ranges that the vast majority of devices on the market wouldn’t be capable of. Getting this alignment right can be quite fiddly but once found, the adapter holds fast, and the point of focus doesn’t drift. It’s important to try to remember to reduce/disable the auto focussing on the device as this can be at odds with the manual focus of the scope itself. Likewise, make sure to zoom the phone camera slightly to avoid giving a ‘scoped’ view to your photos, with a circular black border (see below).

In the field

Testing the adapter involved setting it up on the window ledge of a bird hide and using it while combing along the River Dart, allowing tests over variable distances to look and capture at different focus points and ranges. I often found that target acquisition with the scopes was a bit of a lesson in trial and error as any hand movement through high magnification lenses will be exacerbated massively through the screen. However, this will be greatly reduced by using a lesser magnification or a stabilising structure such as a tripod (or a handy fence post). The use of a phone in this case proved crucial as the post- processing from the device helped to mute the amount of disturbance to the final image from this unavoidable shaking. While there was some aberration introduced to the final photos, it didn’t mar the result too much or overly distract from the images (see below).

Using the adapter with a pair of binoculars was where the Hawke Digi-Scope really shone. Quick to acquire and quick to capture, the photos produced were, in my opinion, superb, making this an ideal tool for an enthusiast beginning their journey into nature photography. (see images below)

While the adapter itself is a lightweight bit of kit, whatever you mount within it will add weight to the back of your optics and upset any built-in centre of balance – much as I found out when, after attaching the phone, the scope made a determined attempt at see-sawing off the bird-hide window ledge. When not attached to the optics, however, the adapter is small and portable, fitting easily into a pocket without any discernible bulk or weight.

Taking pictures with the adapter was as simple as hitting the camera button on the phone and snapping away, making sure to adjust the focus using the scope/binoculars as needed (this took a bit of practice to get used to). I didn’t manage to get any images of animals moving at great speed (something a dedicated nature photography camera would have no issues doing) while using the scopes, as acquiring and holding onto the target while also focusing using the scope lent itself to more stationary birds (see image 9). The binoculars, on the other hand, were great for reactive type photography, albeit at much reduced ranges (e.g. image 10).

Photograph of a brown duck standing on one leg scratching the underside of its wing with its beak stood on a log taken through a lens. — Image 9

Motion photograph of a crow taking off in flight from a patch of grass scattered in autumn leaves. — Image 10

Conclusions

While using the Hawke Digi-Scope, it is important to remember that the phone you use, the post processing that it does, and the settings you enable will all modulate the end result in some way, and this is an unavoidable part of using your phone to take images with a non-attached magnification device. Unlike an expensive camera with light meters and other tools, this setup will never quite produce a true to life image with no introduced imperfections.

In terms of optics, the scopes performed well and were great in their own right; however, both the models I used were technically 1–2mm over the maximum specified eyepiece diameter. This was surprising as the mount seemed to fit fine (a little snug if anything), but also surprising as it begs the question as to why this adapter doesn’t fit the full range of Hawke products. This was not an issue with the binoculars as they have a much smaller ocular aperture.

It is just as important to stress this wasn’t a test of the optics used but rather the adapter itself and, in that role, it performed very well. It held the phone securely and the rubberised touch points prevented slippage, keeping both the scope and phone lenses aligned. But, as stated before, this was a bit of a fiddly procedure.

I do think that this adapter helps to bridge the gap between the more professional nature photography market and the more casual enthusiast who wishes to go and get some decent photos of what’s living in the area around them, and it will help to extend the reach of the average person’s smartphone camera by quite a distance. The speed of setup and lack of any frills really helps to make this adapter a portable, reliable workhorse or a spur of the moment image capturing tool. If you’re looking for an inexpensive bit of kit to add to your usual birding/hiking/survey gear alongside your pick of optics, this is the adapter for you.

The Hawke Digi-Scope Smart Phone Adapter is available at www.nhbs.com/digi-scope