Founded in 2022, the Fungi Society has quickly blossomed into a hugely popular society involving Edinburgh students of all ages and disciplines. I spoke to a few members to find out more.
When I inquired about the history of fungi society, Ilya replied, “We founded Fungi Soc officially in 2022, though we had been running it for a year before we were EUSA registered. We had our first freshers’ fair stand with just a paper and pen for sign-ups and no events planned, but the society took off very quickly; our first event – a scavenger hunt on Blackford Hill – attracted 200 people. Over the last 2-3 years, we’ve met many lovely people who joined the committee later on, as well as many new friends.”
I asked Finnlay about the importance of fungi society, to which he explained, “although we’re officially a science society, we appeal to people from all sorts of degree backgrounds. It’s a really welcoming society for people with all levels of knowledge; our events often bring complete beginners together with people doing their PhD on fungi, so we get a massive variety of expertise and experience.”
“We’re mainly plant and environmental science students so it’s important to us to hold academic events and workshops, but we also exist to create a community of people who want to engage with and learn about fungi and nature more generally.”
“Fungi Soc is in a unique position in that fungi – though a niche interest – appeals to so many people. There are people interested in going into a forest or field and practising new ways of looking at the world is great for mental health. Our events are safe spaces to be curious and to ask questions; the atmosphere is incredibly open and non-judgemental.”
“It’s also important to mention that fungi occupy an often underrepresented and under-researched field. Lots of scientific breakthroughs about fungi are citizen science-based, which makes nurturing community, self-teaching, and knowledge sharing vital.”
Finally, I asked the members what they most enjoyed about fungi society, to which Myarr and Annabelle recalled, “What we do is very interconnected; we do a lot of collaborations with other societies such as Hearty Squirrel, Foraging Soc and Bird Soc. Collaborations are a great way of bringing different perspectives together – we wouldn’t exist in the same way without them.”
“Our forays are also incredibly enjoyable – we host them very regularly and they easily become part of a routine of meeting people, appreciating the outdoors and learning new things. Two years ago we had a foray at Roslin Glen where Hearty Squirrel cooked soup and there were people playing flutes – we had an amazing time. We also co-run an annual eco-ceilidh and have hostess mushroom growing workshops, which have all gone super well.”
Ilya also told me about Fungi Soc’s next event, the Big Nature walk on Blackford Hill. “We’re meeting at the observatory car park at 10 am on Sunday 10th November,” she emphasised, “and will be collaborating with Bird Soc, Wildlife Soc and Foraging Soc and doing some ecology talks as we go along.”
Image via Noa Travassos