Why Do We Overlook Fungi?

This is a FREE event with the option to make a donation if you wish to. 
Fungi or mushrooms are often called the forgotten kingdom. Neither plants nor animals, fungi are a very important kingdom of their own. Yet so much of the world overlooks fungi and why they matter so much.

Why has fungi been overlooked? And why does this matter?

Join us to find the answers and learn how attitudes and awareness can be changed. Researcher and creative practitioner Gemma Hardy will explore how people perceive and connect with the living world, particularly forgotten wildlife like fungi. One not to be missed!

Meet the speakers:

Gemma Hardy is an interdisciplinary researcher and creative practitioner with an MSc in Sustainability from Anglia Ruskin University's Global Sustainability Institute. Her work explores how people perceive and connect with the living world, particularly overlooked or ‘forgotten’ biodiversity. Published in the Journal of Biological Education, she develops creative, research-informed approaches to education and public engagement, and is currently exploring new ways of seeing, sensing, and connecting with fungi.

Aileen Baird is Senior Conservation Officer for Fungi at Plantlife, working on fungal conservation projects across the UK. She has worked in mycology for 9 years, with particular interests in the impacts of climate change on fungi, grassland fungi, rainforest fungi, and community science. Aileen’s work covers a diverse range of projects, including the new UK Network for Fungal Conservation, the community-science project Waxcap Watch, and on-the-ground conservation of threatened fungi. In her spare time, Aileen enjoys fell running, cycling, knitting, and teaching her toddler about the world of mycology!

At the end of the talk there will be an opportunity to ask questions. 

This talk will be recorded and a link to the recording will be sent within ten working days after the event  to all those who have registered.

This event is free of charge, but there is an option to make a donation if you wish to.

Many thanks

Plantlife Membership Team