THE BRIEF:
To celebrate UK Fungus Day 2020, we’ve devised a competition that allowed you guys to get creative! Whether it be junk model mushrooms, sculpted toadstools or fungi made from the clothes in your wardrobe, we wanted you to invent your own fantasy fungus using anything you can find in your home (or garden). Then just take a photo, tell us a bit about your fungus, and send it on over to us. We wanted you to leave those pencils, paints and paper on the shelf and think CREATIVE! Could you fashion a fantastic toadstool out of an old hat and an empty bottle? What about a beautiful coral fungus out of socks? With over 12,000 fungi in the UK to choose from there should be plenty to inspire you, especially with names like the ‘Octopus stinkhorn’, or King Alfred’s cakes’.
Your work would be judged by a specially chosen panel combined esteemed mycologists and fungi lovers. Professor Lynne Boddy is one of the UK’s most esteemed mycologists - a pioneer in the field of fungal decomposition (the recyclers!) who has many tv appearances to her name, not to mention over 250 papers she’s had published! Martin Bidartando is Professor of Molecular Ecology at Imperial College and an Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is an expert on the symbioses between fungi and plant roots. Mariana Heilmann is an accomplished artist, with a particular interest in fungi as her chosen subject matter. And finally, Ali McKernan (aka The FUNgi Guy) who is an enthusiast for all things fungi, and a fungal artist in his own right. Meet the Judges
The competition was divided into three age categories:
The winners for the 2020 Fantasy Fungus Competition are below. Click on each to see a larger version.
| 0 - 11 years | 12 - 17 years | 18+ (Big kids) | |
| 1st |  |
 |
 |
| 2nd |  |
 |
 |
| 3rd |  |
 |
 |
| Notable Mentions |  |
 |