Autumn always brings a flush of fungi to the Reserve. The range of colours and shapes of the visible (i.e. fruiting) parts of the fungi never ceases to amaze. These pictures were all taken on a single October walk around the reserve.
Don't forget though that the visible parts of the mushrooms are only a small and temporary part of a much larger organism which threads out under the ground for, often, a significant distance.
The fungi on the Reserve also play a key part in the recycling of nutrients from dead plants. The volunteers are keen to leave dead wood in place so that the fungi (and so many other organisms) have a chance to do their thing.
Remember that some fungi can be harmful to people so, please, just appreciate them from a distance - they've got a job to do after all.
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