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.

As part of our ongoing child-centre science and nature partnerships project, the children of the Young Design Panel have been meeting with researchers, experts, and scientists to play an active role in current science research. One of these activities, funded by the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey, was with Dr Katie Cruickshanks from NatureMetrics who taught the children all about eDNA sampling – the process by which individual species are identified through the DNA they leave behind in an environment. Together, they explored the grasslands around the Science Centre to sample the soil and learned there was an invisible world of fungi right under their feet!

The land, which has been the home of our Science Centre for over 20 years, is the perfect breeding ground for fungi which play a vital role in supporting ecosystems and driving many natural processes that plants and animals need to survive. This discovery is crucial in supporting our conservation plan for the land and will help the preservation of fungi which were identified in 2022 by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), in part due to a lack of data, as being one of the most threatened groups of organisms in the UK.

Ben Ward, CEO of Wonderseekers, said: “We’re so thrilled that the children from our Young Design Panel were an instrumental part of this fungi discovery. Our Charity is on a mission to put children at the heart of big conversations around nature and the future of our planet, so to see them making such a huge difference is amazing.”

Dr Katie Cruickshanks, from NatureMetrics, said: "This project showcases the remarkable power of eDNA, the exceptional value of Winchester's chalk grasslands and underscoring the importance of preserving these ecosystems. Working with Wonderseekers and the children of the Young Design Panel has been truly inspiring; their enthusiasm and curiosity exemplify how science can engage and empower the next generation."

Nathalie Hinds, Director of the Institute’s Innovation and Partnerships said: “We value hands on experiences that engage young minds in understanding and preserving our natural environment. We are thrilled about the discovery of a rich biodiversity of fungi and are very much looking forward to working with Wonderseekers and the Young Design Panel more in the future.”

The Young Designers, aged between 6 and 14 years old, are working with our Charity on a child-centred science and nature partnerships project which aims to bring together children, artists, scientists, and industry experts to use the natural sciences to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

Want to know more? Check out this video of Katie from NatureMetrics, and Leo, a member of the Young Design Panel, explaining more about what they found.