The Amazing World of Fungi – Kevn Griffiths

What actually are fungi? No, they are not the things that pop up in Autumn – some of which can be eaten! Fungi are much more than that.

There is probably at least 10 times more species of fungi than plants in the world – most have yet to be discovered and named. The majority of bushlands in the Perth region have not been surveyed for fungi.

Are fungi of any benefit to the environment, and to us?　 Most definitely, as it is known that fungal networks recycle the precious nutrients and without fungi many plants and animals in the bushland would struggle to survive. Many native plants such as eucalypts, wattles and orchids have a symbiotic (or mutual) partnership with fungi.

Kevn Griffiths, author of Field Guide to the Larger Fungi of the Darling Scarp and South West of WA, will provide tips on identifying fungi　in your home garden and in the surrounding bushland as well as recording details of what you find. Kevn will talk about fungi requirements and spore dispersal, what reference books are available and what fungi can be safely eaten.