Map produced by kind permission of the

The Cotswold Fungus Group (CFG) operates as one of the national network of 30-plus local fungus groups in the United Kingdom. We cover the northern half of the county of Wiltshire and the majority of Gloucestershire in the southwest of England

The group links up with bordering groups to the north of us in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, west in Gwent and Somerset, east in Oxfordshire and Berkshire and to the south in Hampshire.

Map produced by kind permission of the

Association of British Counties

Fungus Forays in the UK

Forays are run for most weekends in the spring months (March to May) and autumn (August to November) with occasional outings in the winter months of December, January and February as well as the summer June and July. Click here for more information about our programme this year.

Forays are led by an experienced identifier, usually the group leader Dave Shorten, another group member or by a guest identifier from a neighbouring group. Fungi are picked and identified in the field as far as possible. Lists of the day's finds are produced and sent to members and to the woodland owners, acting as a catalogue of biodiversity of the site.

The highlight of the year is our main autumn foray at the National Arboretum at Westonbirt near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Up to 100 members and guests collect on this 240-hectare site throughout the day. The fungi found are identified and displayed in the style of the Mycologiades at Belleme for collectors and the public to see.

Fungi we find at Westonbirt

Westonbirt Arboretum is one of our most important sites for fungi. We have recently taken the list of fungi found there to over one thousand separate species. This impressive list includes a number of nationally rare fungi of conservation interest, appearing on the 2006 UK Red Data List of vulnerable species.

Cotswold Fungus Group at Bellême in France

Members of the CFG have been coming to foray in France as a group every autumn for 15 years. We discovered the Mycologiades in 1993 and have attended every year since.

The group stays at a local hotel in Lower Normandy and forays forests including Forêts de Cerisy, Grimbosq, Andaines, Ecouves and the grounds of the Chateau at Tessé la Madeleine.

CFG members visit Bellême for the weekend of the Mycologiades. We join in the forays, collecting a range of unusual species over the years. Members also get the chance of increasing their knowledge of European fungi by visiting the exhibition. The group leader Dave Shorten has presented a talk to the conference on British fungi in 1998 and is due to speak again in 2008 on the fungi of Australia and New Zealand.

Over the years we have developed strong links with Prof. Jean-Philippe Rioult, of the University of Caen and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Mycologiades.

Identifying finds during a CFG foray in France

Members of the Cotswold Fungus Group visiting the exhibition at the Mycologiades

Joint BMS/University of Caen Foray 2002

The British Mycological Society sponsors overseas forays every year. In 2002 it was the turn of CFG leader Dave Shorten to organise the event for the society. Understandably Dave thought of France and he turned to his friend and colleague Jean-Philippe Rioult for support in organising this joint event based in Caen.

Attended by a core group of UK and French expert mycologists, the conference included visits to a range of sites, with a chance to study the finds from the day at the conference base in the centre of Caen. Students from the university and UK delegates were able to see and work with British and French experts both in the field and at the microscope. A list of over 750 species were identified from the event.

Coming to the UK?

If you are coming to the UK during our foraying season and would like to join one of our walks as a guest, please get in touch either by email or telephone us on +44 (0)1793 764 649 for further information (French spoken!)

If you would like to register as an overseas member, receiving our newsletters by email, please contact us for further information.

Useful links

Here are some of the sites you may enjoy, including the national database of Latin names for fungi in the UK (Checklist of British Fungi) and a list of Common English names.

Lists of Fungi & Educational resources

List of Common English Names of Fungi

Fungus Records Database of Britain & Ireland

Checklist of British Fungi

County-based lists of fungi

Fungi for Schools

Associations and groups

List of Fungus Groups (from British Mycological Society)

Association of British Fungus Groups

British Mycological Society

Pictures and Images

ARKive Fungi & Lichens (digital image library)

BioImages (UK fungi digital image library)

WWW Virtual Library on mycology

Suppliers for mycologists

Baskets, books, gifts and memorabilia for mycologists (MycoMiscellany)

Jenny Shorten, Dave Shorten, Jean-Philippe Rioult