Objective 4: Promoting education and awareness about fungal diversity, restoration and conservation
The project will create an ongoing narrative that can draw together themes relating to practical action we can take to face the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. We will share the learning and knowledge of the benefits and difficulties of the project through social media and network of relevant bodies and organisations.
- Increase awareness of fungal conservation and the environmental impacts that threaten fungal diversity
Raising awareness about fungal conservation means helping people understand the practical role fungi play in everyday ecosystems. Fungi recycle nutrients, support plant growth, build soil structure, and help keep woodlands and grasslands functioning. Yet many species are declining due to habitat loss, pollution, intensive land use, and climate change.
By making these impacts visible and explaining why fungi matter to farming, forestry, and biodiversity, we can encourage land managers, communities, and decision-makers to include fungi in conservation and restoration work. Protecting fungi is not a niche interest; it is part of maintaining healthy, resilient landscapes.
- Develop education and awareness raising initiatives with the various fungus groups, and relevant statutory organisations, charities and voluntary societies.
Promoting education and awareness around fungal diversity and restoration requires practical collaboration. Local fungus groups, statutory bodies, charities, and voluntary organisations each hold different knowledge, networks, and resources. Working together allows that capacity to be combined rather than duplicated.
Partnerships can support joint surveys, shared training sessions, public walks, workshops, and accessible online resources. These activities can reach a wide audience — from students and land managers to community groups and policymakers. By coordinating efforts, organisations can raise the profile of fungi, communicate the pressures they face, and encourage informed action in local conservation and land management.
- Contribute to better communication between conservation and ecological restoration and field recording communities.
Creating spaces for dialogue — such as workshops, conferences, and online forums — allows field recorders and conservation practitioners to share data, observations, and practical experience. Field recorders provide detailed information on species distribution and habitat condition, while restoration practitioners apply that knowledge on the ground.
When data and land management are linked in this way, restoration work can be better targeted. Actions such as woodland management, deadwood retention, or soil protection can be guided by actual species records, ensuring that conservation measures respond to the real needs of fungal communities rather than assumptions.