DIANA Bateman is a woman who has always been keen on the notion of food for free. Some years ago, during a particularly damp autumn, a friend told her it was proving to be a good year for field mushrooms.

He gave her the location of a good place to go searching for them and she set off eagerly hunting for her supper.

She said: “After about an hour I had found nothing but then I spotted something strange growing at the edge of the woodland and as I ventured further in, I found all manner of weird toadstools.

“I realised that I hadn’t got a clue what any of them were, or if they were edible and so began my passion for mushrooms and fungi.”

Diana tried to find books about identifying them but at that time, only a few were available. She joined a fungi group and with tuition began to learn far more than she ever expected.

Of course, you don’t have to forage woodland to gather fungi, you can do it in your own garden.

Diana said: “Fungi are more than just food for free, they play one of the most important roles in our everyday lives.

“We need fungi to exist, because without it nothing in our world would ever rot or decompose.

Without the presence of fungi, we would seriously be overburdened by piles of dead plant and animal remains.

“They can also be extremely beautiful, taking many shapes and colours. They occur all year round, although, of course, in autumn they are at their most plentiful.

“After some years of study I was told I had become a competent identifier and so set up the Worcestershire Fungi Group in order to reach others with a similar interest.”

Generally speaking people call edible fungi mushrooms and the poisonous ones toadstools. In fact they are all fungi and although there is now a huge range of books available the best way to identify them is still to join a fungi group.

There is a much larger network of groups today and details of ones nearest to you is available from the British Mycological Society (britmycolsoc.org.uk/) and the Association of British Fungus Groups (abfg.org/).

Diana said: “Both are happy and willing to give help and advice to those eager to learn more.”

However, she fears for the future of fungi. This is because their conservation has become a major issue that needs to be addressed.

Diana said: “The British public is happy to help with the conservation of a rare wild flower, a beautiful butterfly or an endangered animal… but a toadstool, not really?

“Little regard is given to fungi and many people remain almost unaware of their existence. We do not naturally walk around looking at the ground, which is where the majority of these things exist.

“This autumn I urge people to go out and look specifically for fungi.

I promise they will be amazed.

“Our ancient woodlands are one of the best habitats for fungi and we need to preserve what little remains. The current trend for using wild mushrooms in restaurants has led to the irresponsible collection of fungi for profit.

“Wild fungi cannot be cultivated and should never be collected without the landowner’s permission. There has, without doubt, been extinction of some fungi over the years but with so few people capable of identification it is difficult to map and record them.

“My hope for the future is that people will be encouraged to have a greater awareness and regard for fungi and so secure their proper place in the order of things.”

Diana Bateman will be at the City of Worcester Flower Show on August 6 to offer help and advice about fungi.