Direct action fungi

Trevor, our guide through the New Forest, knows a lot about fungi. I found this out by talking to Trevor about my closest friends over the past two months; the fungi growing on my feet.

Trevor claims that fungi are amazing organisms. They have even been found to grow in the kerosene tanks of aeorplanes, blocking up engines and stopping planes from taking off. That's my kind of fungus.

Trevor, as a man who works for the Forestry Commission, also knows a lot about trees. He took us past a fabulous 600-year old oak in the forest known as the Knightwood Oak. However, the Forestry Commission has found in recent years that English Oaks are struggling in the south of England as the climate changes. The warmer summers are not suitable for the English Oak, and it is doubtful whether oaks which are young now will be able to survive into their 100s.

Distance covered so far: 924 miles