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What is UK Fungus Day all about?
UK Fungus Day is an annual celebration of our fungal world, offering something for everyone. Alongside the many UK-based groups, museums, universities and research centres offering a chance to join fungus walks, view fungi collections and visit exhibitions of the latest fungal science and technology, UK Fungus Day invites everyone to join in, delve deeper and learn more about fungi through art and performance, crafts and creations, online talks, quizzes and competitions.
Photo by Amelie Patel, UK Fungus Day 2023 photography competition runner up in the age 12-17 years category.
Life on Earth would not exist without fungi!
Without the recycling activities of fungi, the world’s ecosystems would soon run out of nutrients. Plants without their fungal mycorrhizal partners to deliver water and nutrients, would not be able to grow and food would quickly become depleted.
Some fungi are also pathogens - of plants, humans, frogs, bats, soft coral, bees - and in certain cases are causing widespread decline of animal or plant populations. In humans, certain fungi can cause invasive infections which contribute to high death rates in individuals suffering from AIDS and cancer, and others can cause irritating infections of our skin. They can even poison us.
However, few fungi actually cause a nuisance to the healthy individual. And, without fungi, animals and plants could not - and would not - exist.