Woods, Fungi and Earth Day 2026

This weekend I had the privilege of going for a beautiful walk near Horton in South Gloucestershire. Wild garlic carpeted the woodland - a veritable sea of fragrant leaves and delicate white flowers.

Their pungent scent was ever present and we were looking forward to tasting some homemade pesto later!

My thoughts also turned to a talk I had recently attended - a conversation between Toppings bookseller, Mathew, and the internationally acclaimed forest ecologist Suzanne Simard.

In her bestselling book Finding the Mother Tree she advanced a revelatory paradigm for the profound intelligence and interconnectedness of trees. She emphasises that, whilst this is a new paradigm for Western Science, it has been known and acknowledged as central in many Indigenous wisdoms.

 In her new book, When the Forest Breathes, she uncovers the ways that nature’s deep-rooted cycles of renewal can ensure the longevity of threatened ecosystems.

I was particularly struck by two of the points she made in her talk. She explained how research indicates that much modern forestry 'harvesting' destroys 60% of the top soil, humus layer and fungal networks essential for forest health and renewal. However, further monitoring indicates that after 2 years 20% of this life can return, giving us reason for hope.

photo courtesy of Coal Spoil Fungi

This hope is echoed by mycologist Emma Williams in her podcast with the National Botanic Gardens of Wales. In this, Emma highlights how fungi, the underpinning of future land regeneration, return much faster than expected to coal spoil in the valleys of south Wales. This offers hope to farmers everywhere engaging with regenerative farming methods. Fungal networks, and thus improved soil health, will return relatively quickly to depleted farm soils.

A second point that Suzanne made in her recent talk was the importance of a million small acts that can add up to some of the big changes needed to address and even reverse some of the effects of climate change. We have the knowledge to make these changes but not necessarily the will, care or 'feeling' needed - an aspect that she draws out in her recent book. She notes how many of these changes - ranging from agricultural and forestry practices to how we live our daily lives - are carried out by women whose role in worldwide change needs to be acknowledged and encouraged.

Photo courtesy of early years staffroom

Wednesday 22nd April 2026 is this year's Earth Day Commenced in the 1970s this is a day 'to stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of the only home we share' and 'to lift your voice, take action, and show your love for Planet Earth... When we stand together, our planet has a future.'