The Borders Fungus Group will lead four forays over the weekend, each lasting approximately two hours, where you can learn all about fungi identification. The walks depart at 10:30 and 13:30 each day.
Back at Etal Village Hall the finds will be displayed and there will be fungi related activities with quizzes and puzzles. You can bring along fungi you want to identify – try to make a note of where it was growing and if it was near any type of tree, this information will help with identification.
On top of this there is an impressive crocheted mushroom house, standing at a little over three feet tall and complete with lights and a door. Children can open the door and peek inside to see what they can find, will there be fairies and gnomes?
All activities are free except for the face-painting.
Guided fungi walks
These walks are led by one of our fungi experts and last approximately one to two hours. There are two forays each day.
Morning foray start time 10.30am in the grounds of Etal Manor.
Afternoon foray start time 1.30pm alongside the River Till.
The foray leader will introduce you to the fascinating world of fungi. They will explain the important role they play in our lives and their significance to every plant and animal on the earth. These walks are designed to teach you about fungi but not to teach you about foraging for fungi to eat. The walks will either be in the grounds of Etal Manor, or along the riverside walk at Etal. Walks alongside the River Till are suitable for buggies and motorised wheelchairs. The starting point of all walks is at the village hall.
Indoor activities at Etal Village Hall
Fungi themed tombola
Fungi finds display
All our finds throughout the weekend will be labelled and put on display showing spore print colours.
Fungi games
A selection of colouring in, quizzes and dot to dot fungi games.
Woodland-themed Face Painting (there is a charge for this)
Handmade fungi crafts
A wide range of fungi crafts using different materials from clay to scale models, crochet mushrooms, wooden carved mushroom, mushroom enamelled pin badges, felted fungi key rings, greeting cards, fungi fridge magnets, velvet mushrooms, mushroom bunting and much more. All profits from the sale of these items go to running the Borders Fungus Group and enable us to run free events like Etal Fungi Festival.
Medicinal fungi display
The rainbow beneath our feet
An exhibition of wool and material dyed with mushrooms and lichens that have been collected ethically from the Ford & Etal Estate. The wool was also sourced from the estate. Mushrooms and Lichens have been used for thousands of years to dye wool, silk and cotton to colour our clothes also as pigments for painting. More detailed information available at the exhibition.
Refreshments and biscuits – available free, donations welcome.
Outdoor display
A carpet of colourful crochet mushrooms on the lawns
If you have any queries about this event please email Sally, the secretary of the Borders Fungi Group: BFGcomms@outlook.com
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