Friends of Troopers Hill
Mushrooms and Toadstools
"Troopers Hill is an excellent grassland fungi site"
 Surveying the wildlife on Troopers Hill is an important part of the work we do to ensure the nature reserve is properly managed.
We are pleased that John and Doreen Bailey from the North Somerset and Bristol Fungus Group have agreed to help us in surveying the fungi on the Hill. John & Doreen led fungi forays for us on 1st November 2015 and 5th November 2017. We hope they will be able to visit again, perhaps in autumn 2019.
From 2005 to 2013 we held seven Fungi Forays on Troopers Hill all led by Justin Smith. As well as leading each walk Justin carried out a fungi survey. In 2009 by way of a change Justin led a Lichens, mosses and liverworts walk.
 It was with very great sadness that we learned in March 2014 that Justin Smith had passed away from a suspected heart attack. Justin was a great friend of Troopers Hill; he is greatly missed especially by his wife, Lucy, and his young son.
You can hear Justin talking about fungi and lichens as part of our Audio Trail; see our Troopers Trails page
Lucy has set up the Justin Smith Foundation in memory of Justin and to help continue his work, we are pleased that John & Doreen's fees for our foray's are being donated to the foundation.
On the day that Justin had been due to carry our 2014 foray and survey, Susan took some photos of the fungi on the Hill that can be seen via the link below.
These surveys show the importance of the grassland on Troopers Hill. In his 2013 report Justin said:
"We were rewarded with nice examples of waxcap fungi (Hygrocybe sp),
including the edible Hygrocybe pratensis, lots of Hygrocybe conica, and
some slimy examples of Hygrocybe laeta, an acid soil loving species.
Waxcaps are often used as monitors of habitat quality for unimproved
grasslands. More than 10 species in a single visit indicates a site of
moderate quality in nature conservation terms, while a total of over 18
species for a site overall, indicates an important grassland site for fungi,
worthy of SSSI status."
The results of the surveys, including the full list species found, can be downloaded below, there are also links to photographs of each event. |
