RE: Fungi Foray
Saturday 24th October – 10.30 am
Meeting north of Fordon (on the Flixton-Fordon Road) at the head of Lang Dale, where the Centenary Way leaves the road and heads west. TA048777.
Plenty of parking on the wide verge, though for those with ordinary cars they are better parked nearer to the footpath gate as it is more even there.
The area we will look at is the Nicker Pits bit of Lang Dale, which though not a SSSI is a lovely bit of unimproved chalk grassland with a really good chalk flora – lots of rock rose, thyme, clustered bellflower, salad burnet etc. It is open access. As it is not SSSI it is heavily sheep grazed which seems to be perfect for grassland fungi. Last year it had a fantastic range – lots of different species of Entoloma, Wax Caps, Earth Tongues, Puffballs, Galerina etc in huge abundance. So if the weather conditions have been favourable then there should be plenty to look at.
The hillside is rather steep, but otherwise not particularly hazardous (mainly short turf), and will especially suit people with one leg longer than the other! So boots with good ankle support are advised. Young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and children should be kept under close control.