Rare fungus found in Great Britain for first time

A rare species of pink fungus has been found in Great Britain for the first time.

The pale pink 'fairy club' fungus was discovered at Haydon Batch, a grassland near Radstock in Somerset.

It was found by volunteers from Somer Valley Rediscovered, a project aiming to improve biodiversity and better connect communities to their landscapes.

Dan Nicholas, who led the search, said the south west was "truly blessed" to have such a range of nature on our doorstep, which was "something we need to cherish and protect at all costs".

The tennis ball-sized fungus, known as Clavaria calabrica, was found in autumn 2025 and has now been confirmed through DNA testing as the first recorded sighting in Great Britain.

Identifying the species, which had been previously found in Northern Ireland, can be important to pinpoint and protect surviving areas of ancient meadows that are rich with different species of wildlife.

These grasslands can also help keep soil healthy, support bees and butterflies, and help tackle climate change by storing more carbon than intensively managed land.

"This discovery further demonstrates that the south west is home to some of the most spectacular and diverse examples of these unique grassland fungi communities anywhere on the planet," Nicholas said.

People are now being encouraged to take part in the West of England Wildlife Index, a citizen science programme tracking wildlife across 20 sites in the region.

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