Education and
Outreach promoting fungal science
Education and
Outreach promoting fungal science
From Another Kingdom Exhibition
Photo credit: Ray & Elma Kearney
From Another Kingdom
Exhibition now at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
The BMS strives to bring the wonders and importance of fungi to the attention of the general public. Our most recent project is the exhibition “From Another Kingdom” for which we have provided the scientific content. This ran for 4 months at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), where it was housed in the splendid new John Hope Gateway Exhibition Centre and visited by over 40,000 adults and children. It has now moved to the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW) at Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, where it will reside until early 2013. [I1] The exhibition is designed to appeal to a wide audience of adults and children and to provide insights into fungi in an exciting and appealing way. It takes place within an Alice in Wonderland space of giant mushrooms, and uses dramatic imagery, audio and film to illustrate a wide range of aspects of fungal biology. Linked to the exhibition will be a programme of educational activities, talks, demonstrations, forays and other innovative events. From NBGW it is hoped that the exhibition will move to various venues in the UK and even to continental Europe and beyond. The exhibition occupies around 250 sq m; however, it can be divided into a number of seperate modules to suit available space.
If you have an idea for a suitable venue and would like to help us to promote fungal science by hosting the exhibition in the future then please contact us with your details.
A book aimed at the general public has been published to accompany the exhibition. As well as chapters covering the main aspects of the biology, ecology and role of fungi in the functioning of this planet, the book also considers fungi in art, literature and human lives, provides some recipes and a few personal accounts of specific fungi.
The chapters are:
Not only is the factual content excellent but also the colour images are wonderful. The book should delight readers ranging from those who have never heard of fungi, through keen field mycologists and students of biology, to the most eminent professors of mycology. Its appeal is evident from the fact that after a year it is in its first reprint.
The book is priced at £20 and can be obtained from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Publication Dept. pps@rbge.org.uk +44 (0)131 248 2819. Postage will be free to BMS members on orders sent to a UK address, if Mycologist News is quoted at the time of ordering.
ISBN: 978-1-906129-67-5
More details are available on the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh website
From Another Kingdom: The Amazing World of Fungi is the first major exhibition to explore the vital role fungi play in the health of people and the planet. It introduces the incredible diversity of fungi, and uses a combination of models, film, audio, images and text to tell the story of fungi and their importance in sustaining all life on earth.
A touring exhibition from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Funded by the Wellcome Trust, Scottish Government Science Engagement Grant and the British Mycological Society.
Photos credit: Matt Laver
The Book
From Another Kingdom: The Amazing World of Fungi is unique among publications on fungi in covering the full range of scientific and cultural aspects of this vital but often overlooked group of organisms. It is written by a team of experts in an accessible and understandable style intended for a general audience. Chapters cover natural history, popular science, folklore and medicine of fungi and even suggest recipes and craft uses for some species.
Large format 276 x 219mm, paperback format, 176pp, colour and illustrated with photographs throughout. Retails at £20
Buy online at www.rbgeshop.org.uk
