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Families are being encouraged to photograph fungi on autumn walks rather than pick them, as experts warn that poisonous mushrooms can be difficult to identify.
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The BBC reports sightings ranging from tiny bird’s nest fungi in Birmingham city centre to fly agaric beneath birch trees and red cage fungus in Cannon Hill Park. James Benwell, of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, said the red cage fungus found in the park in 2025 was only the second recorded sighting in Birmingham and the Black Country. [1]
Benwell said searching for fungi with his young son makes everyday walks more interesting. Lucas Large, chairman of the West Midlands Fungus Group, said newcomers regularly join the group’s activities and fungi forays. More than 15,000 species of fungi are found in the UK, the BBC reported. [1]
The advice comes with a safety warning: some wild mushrooms found in the UK can cause severe illness or death if eaten. Large said there was no foolproof shortcut to identifying poisonous mushrooms. Benwell advised people without specialist knowledge not to pick wild mushrooms and to buy any mushrooms they want to eat. [1]
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