Autumnwatch: Woodland foraging

Paul unlocks the charcoal kiln which provides extra income

As the colour of leaves on the trees change and the air gets colder, autumn is the best time of the year to take part in some fungi finding.

In a Leeds woodland close to the river Wharfe, BBC Leeds met up with local enthusiast Paul Holmes to discover some of the local wildlife and plant life.

The thirty-five acre deciduous woodland is home to deer, foxes, badgers as well as over 300 different species of fungi.

In addition there are rare butterflies, plants, otters and mink.

Lying partly on the edge of the magnesium limestone belt the wood contains both acid and alkaline soils, it has many plants indicative of ancient woodland and is one of the most important deciduous woodlands in the region.

A spike of broomrape next to its host, the thistle

Paul is keen to keep the exact location of the wood a secret. He says because the wood has so few visitors it has an abundance of wildlife: "Last year we took part in a fungi forage and found over 300 different species of fungi. We also found a fungi which is a has only been found in Yorkshire twice before.

"Some fungi you can smell before you see it, like the stinkhorn. There are many different ways to identify fungi, the smell, the taste (if they are edible). The form of the gills, do they have a bulbous base? A lot of them are very similar, you may need microscopic examination looking at the pores of the fungi to identify a species."

Photogallery: Fungi foraging in Leeds woodland

One of the coracle boats made in the wood

The wood is one of ten sites in Yorkshire for the Thistle broomrape. The broomrape is a parasite, it doesn't have any leaves because it doesn't need chlorophyll, producing a spike of flowers instead. Paul says it the wood is a really important site for the plant:

"We bought the wood from an old sawmill which had clear-felled the area. The central area had been coniferous for around 70 years, but when it was felled all the warmth and light activated the dormant seeds and we had 300 spikes of the flower."

The wood is owned by a community trust and is regularly used for community events and wildlife activities. In a central clearing are two huge kilns which Paul says were built to order:

"This is where we make charcoal. Each kiln produces about 40 bags of charcoal. It takes about 12-14 hours and we camp overnight rotating the chimneys and vents to ensure an even flow of air. The charcoal is then sold locally in the butchers and post office."

The wood has public events throughout the year an has held courses in greenwood furniture and coracle making. Brownies have worked towards conservation badges there, evening campfires have been held by cubs, whilst Rainbows and Beavers have learned how to make string from nettles and soap from horse chestnut leaves.

If you would like to take part in a fungus foray in north Leeds call 01937 574140 for further information.