Young Design Panel uncover fabulous fungi at Winchester Science Centre

Over the summer of 2024 the ‘nature detectives’ of our Young Design Panel made one of the most comprehensive and unexpected finds ever seen by global nature intelligence provider, NatureMetrics. Working with children for the first time on a pioneering process called eDNA sampling, NatureMetrics and the children identified 339 species of fungi in the grasslands surrounding Winchester Science Centre. With 39 of these listed as special indicators of grassland soil health, the find highlights how unique and important the site is and is crucial in driving the conservation plan for the land and helping the preservation of fungi in general.