FUNGI TOWN: True Mycological Tales from Wales

Did you know that fungal ‘forays’ first started a few miles from Hay? In 1868, Herefordshire's Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club held what it called "a foray among the funguses", followed by a dinner made from the day's finds. It proved so popular that it ran every year for over two decades, and helped lay the groundwork for the science of mycology as we know it.

Dr Nathan Smith, senior mycologist at the National Museum of Wales, has spent years digging into stories like this one, and the people behind them. In this talk, he explores where our knowledge of fungi really came from, and why this corner of Wales and the Marches has such a strong claim to being where it started.

Expect stories of drinking, betrayal, and a fair bit of mushroom-eating. There may even be a song or two!