This UK Fungus Day, join us for Fungi Field Day at the Botanic Garden to celebrate fungi and their relationships with plants. Come along to learn, engage and play, and discover what we can do to help conserve the fungal diversity around us.
Highlights include:
🍄A range of talks from expert speakers, covering fungal partnerships, their roles in agriculture, and how they inspire art
🔬Science stand with microscopes to discover fungi that live inside plants
🪵Learn about our local fungi with the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Camb & Northants
🎨Mycorrhizal fungi-inspired ‘Artscaping’ led by the arts and wellbeing charity Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination
🌳Guided fungal walks around the Garden
Fungi crafts and games tent plus face painting!
Programme of talks (SLCU Auditorium)
10:30 – 11:15am
Mycorrhizal mosaic – How fungal diversity sustains plant nutrition
Dr Alan Wanke (Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge)
When we look at the ecosystems right outside our doorstep, the diversity of plants is among the first things that catches our attention. Yet beneath our feet lies an invisible network of microbial interactions that quietly sustains these plants. Since the earliest days of life on land, mutualistic relationships between plants and fungi have been crucial for plant nutrition. Plants have evolved various ways to engage with, communicate with and regulate a wide range of fungal partners, improving their ability to extract vital mineral nutrients from the soil.
In this talk, Dr Alan Wanke will present the diversity of fungal strategies for nourishing plants and show how studying these hidden partnerships is transforming our understanding of the nutrient networks beneath our feet.
12:00 – 12:45pm
Subterranean Weather and Arbuscular Time
Annabel Howland (Artist, UK and Netherlands) and Dr Jen McGaley (Plant Scientist, University of Cambridge)
After an introduction to the incredible microscopic world of mycorrhiza from Dr Jen McGaley, Annabel Howland will talk about the role that the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi has played in her work since 2012, and why arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi continue to fascinate. Annabel will show slides of work from selected projects and screen her latest video Subterranean Weather & Arbuscular Time (2026, 10 mins).
1:30 – 2:15pm
Lichens: Tiny Partnerships, Big Importance
Dr Muhammad Usman (Natural History Museum, London)
Lichens are fascinating partnerships between fungi and photosynthetic organisms, and they are found all around us. In this talk, Dr Muhammad Usman will introduce you to the hidden world of lichens, explain their importance for our environment and everyday life, and explore why they matter. He will also share a few simple tips and tricks to help you recognise and identify some common lichens. No previous knowledge is required—just curiosity!
3:00 – 3:45pm
Friendly fungi for farming – studying mycorrhizas for sustainable agriculture
Dr Tom Thirkell (Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge)
Almost all our crops co-operate with beneficial soil fungi to help their nutrient uptake, but we don’t know how to make the most of them. As they spend their entire lives underground, it has been difficult to study these fungi and only recently have we realised how important they are for plants. Tom will talk about his current work trying to understand mycorrhizal fungi, how they interact with plants, and how they might help farmers reduce the amount of fertilisers and pesticides that are added to crops.
Fungi art adventures (Schools’ Garden)
1:30 – 4:00pm
Explore the magical world of fungi beneath your feet with a combination of art and science. Admire microscopic fungi using microscopes before joining Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination artists for Fungi-Themed ‘Artscaping’, painting the underground fungal networks using inks made from the natural world. Also come and visit the beautiful fungi-inspired hangings of the Fantastical Forest.
At 2.30pm and 3.30pm there will be the opportunity to embark on a Fungus Sampling Expedition around the gardens. Your fungal finds will be added to the ‘Fungi of the Botanic Garden Trail’ released after the event.
Ages 3 +
Children must be accompanied at all times. Unaccompanied adults welcome.
Free tickets for the sampling must be booked online 1 week prior to the event. Tickets will be released in September.
Fungi science, games and other fun (Main Lawn)
10.00am – 4.00pm
Pop in to the Mycorrhiza Marquee, where you can talk to scientists about fungi and mycorrhizal symbiosis, and explore mycorrhizal root samples under a microscope.
Discover hidden struggles between plants and fungi at the Bickering Bryophytes stand. Spot liverworts and mosses from around the garden, see the tiny fungi that live specifically on them and trace a fungus’s route into the plant under the microscope.
Visit the Games Stand for fungi-based fun and drop in any time for mushroom-themed face painting.
Collect a recording card at the Fungi Mapping stand and take it with you on a walk around the gardens. Note down the details of any fungi you spot and help us build a fungal map of the Botanic Garden!
Guided fungi walks (departing from Main Lawn)
10.00am – 4.00pm (exact departure times advertised at on the Main Lawn)
Get to know the fungi growing across the Botanic Garden by going on an expert-led guided walk. Walks run for approximately one hour setting off from the Mycorrhiza Marquee and are suitable for all ages. Timings released on the day at the Mycorrhiza Marquee.
