Fabulous fungi at Welland Cemetery

We are very grateful to one of our local residents and biodiversity volunteer, Neil Harris, for bringing to our attention the exciting and wonderful array of beautiful fungi that appears annually in the cemetery. It seems we have a very rich and special asset in our midst. Since then we have been working hard with the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and District Council environment officers to ensure we manage the cemetery to the best advantage of the fungi whilst also encouraging a re-establishment of the floral diversity for which it was originally designated a Local Wildlife Site.

One of the most exciting fungi species identified was the beautiful and rare pink “ballerina” waxcap Porpolomopsis calyptriformis (listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and we think may be one of the first confirmed sighting in recent years in Worcestershire). We hosted some VERY excited environment officers on a visit to see them!