Endangered and rare fungi found on village green

Rare and endangered grassland fungi have been discovered on a village green.

Ben Challis, from Melmerby Conservation Group, said surveys found several rare species of fungi on their village green grassland, including the endangered Mealy Meadowcap, which is on the international red list.

Challis said the team used sampling methods, known as eDNA surveys, which revealed eight species of fungi listed as internationally vulnerable, including the ballerina waxcap, the yellow foot waxcap and violet coral.

Challis described it as an "astonishing find", adding it had "confirmed a lot of things our group believed in, and also hoped".

Five volunteers carried out eDNA surveys on the green in July, supported by a mycology research group from Aberystwyth University.

One soil sample was taken every 5 by 5m2 within a 30 by 30 m2 area, to give a percentage breakdown of specific species on the site, Melmerby Conservation Group said.

"Mushrooms grow with fine fibrous roots that join together into a large network called mycelium," Challis said.

"If you go looking for fungi, you may miss them because they're hidden or none of that particular species can be there that year.

"The eDNA survey finds what's in the structure under the soil - and the beauty of it is, that is can be done any time of year and it will tell you, in percentile terms, what is there," he said.

Challis said eight internationally vulnerable fungi: ballerina waxcap, yellow foot waxcap, papillate waxcap, matt fanvault, violet coral (both species), short-spored earthtongue and black magic were present in the soil.

"It is highly unusual to have both violet coral species living on the same site," he remarked.

The volunteer conservation group was set up in 2000 by landowner Anne Rowley to protect the biodiversity on the village green.

The group described it as "undisturbed land" which supported wildflowers.

Challis said: "We thought we would be doing a survey to show we had something of 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' (SSSI) standard, but this has proved above and more... It's huge.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram and listen to Radio Cumbria on BBC Sounds.