Rainbow fungi help to pinpoint Bowland's ancient grasslands

2nd October 2025

ABallerina Waxcap new project in the Forest of Bowland National Landscape will see volunteers learning how to identify colourful waxcap fungi and the rare grassland habitats where they are found.

Waxcaps are an indicator of ancient, un-improved grassland and knowing where these and other grassland fungi are thriving, helps to pinpoint where these grasslands remain, so that they can be protected for the future.

These ancient grasslands are the last remnants of unspoilt habitats and home to rare plant and invertebrate species, as well as rare fungi. Because so many species-rich meadows and pastures have been lost over the years, it's now vital that remaining sites are located and recorded, enabling their continued appropriate management.

Hay Time Project Officer, Carol Edmondson, is organising the project and explained, "Waxcaps are amazing. They come in all sorts of shapes and colours, from the beautifully frilly ballerina waxcap, to the intriguingly named parrot waxcap. Along with other grassland fungi species like corals, pinkgills and earthtongues, they are a really good indicator of scarce, ancient grassland habitats."

Carol continued, "Working with Lancashire County Council's Biological Heritage Sites team and Aberystwyth University, one of our aims is to provide a toolkit for farmers and landowners; raising awareness and helping them to continue sympathetic management of this important habitat ."

The project is looking for volunteers to survey potential sites and collect soil samples this autumn for eDNA analysis. Training will be given and no previous experience is needed, but volunteers with fungi identification skills are also welcome to get involved.

Anyone wishing to find out more, or take part in the training, can email Carol on carol.edmondson@lancashire.gov.uk


Best of Bowland Photographs

- 23rd July 2025

Bowland Dark Skies Festival

- 13th January 2025

Feast Bowland 2024

- 8th August 2024

Bowland Life through a Lens

- 1st August 2024

Bowland Dark Skies Festival 2024

- 21st December 2023

Traditional Boundaries Training

- 21st November 2023

All-Terrain Wheelchair Demo Day

- 20th September 2023

Tramper Taster Day

- 22nd August 2023

Pendle Peat & Pie Challenge

- 26th April 2023

New Bowland Visitor Guide

- 20th February 2023

The Festival Continues!

- 10th October 2022

Hay Time Gets Creative!

- 3rd August 2022

REBELLION IN THE FOREST

- 20th July 2022

Langden Intake Gravel

- 1st July 2022

Meadow Art Workshops

- 23rd May 2022

Discovering Wonderful Waxcaps

- 9th September 2021

Tramper Taster Day

- 8th September 2021

Visiting Bowland

- 14th June 2021

Name that Bee!

- 13th April 2021

Meadow Makers Project

- 8th April 2021

Festival Bowland 2021 is here!

- 6th January 2021

COVID-19 Update

- 5th January 2021

Covid-19 Update

- 31st December 2020

Green Recovery Challenge Fund

- 10th December 2020

Bringing Home the Turf

- 7th December 2020

Let's Support Local This Christmas

- 26th November 2020

Photo Competition Winners

- 18th November 2020

COVID-19 Update 05.11.2020

- 5th November 2020

Best of Bowland Photo Competition

- 12th October 2020

New Discover Bowland website

- 29th September 2020

Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoety

- 26th August 2020

Festival Events Go Virtual

- 10th August 2020

Days to Remember

- 31st July 2020

Coronavirus Update

- 6th June 2020

COVID-19 Update

- 20th March 2020

Hay Time Rescue - Project Summary

- 11th February 2020

Bowland Dark Skies Festival

- 6th January 2020

What is Bowland Without its Trees?

- 3rd September 2019

Postcards for Kindness

- 4th July 2019

Meadows to Morris Dancing

- 10th June 2019

Tramper Taster Day

- 15th May 2019

Half a Kilometre of Hedge

- 24th January 2019

Wildflower meadow rescue mission

- 17th October 2018

Traditional Boundaries Training

- 20th September 2018

National Landscape Family's Week

- 13th September 2018

Bowland Heads Back to the Stone Age

- 12th September 2018

Bowland by Night

- 3rd September 2018

Meadow Magic

- 18th June 2018

June is Blooming!

- 15th May 2018

Bowland Wader Project Newsletter

- 22nd February 2018

Outstanding Week 2017

- 5th September 2017

Festival Bowland Fun in Autumn

- 22nd August 2017

Summer in Bowland

- 26th June 2017

Winter Hedge Laying Workshops

- 29th November 2016