Oct 24, 20172 min read

Fungi Fanatic Finn!

Young Finn looks amazed as regional Fungi expert David Higginson-Tranter tells the story of the Shaggy Inkcap mushroom. It was David’s first find in his autumn visit to the reserve on Saturday 14th October. His tours are very popular – this one was fully booked. ‘It’s my 295th fungi tour I have conducted in the North West’ he told The Bubble. ‘I always enjoy Formby because of the huge variety of fungi that I find here, and I look forward to next year’s visit possibly on the additional land that you have been given‘.

96 Young Finn with David

Team building on Windermere

Formby’s Visitor Experience team – the ‘red shirts’ – enjoyed visits to Fell Foot on Windermere recently. The trip came about as a reward for the team because they’ve done so well. ‘It’s a great job’ said Fiona ‘we get to share this wonderful place with visitors and generally membership sells itself because it’s such great value.’ As a charity the National Trust relies heavily on the regular income that membership brings to look after all of our places, so the team are key to the continued care of the coast. At Fell Foot they looked at how things work at a similar outdoors site, and thought about how they might develop what’s done at Formby. Some of the team enjoyed rowing on the lake - quickly finding who could row and who could not! Others had a sneak preview – in hard hats - of the new sports facilities that the Trust is building by the lakeside.

Sonia – Mel (rowing, back to camera) and Anne

Wednesday Waders find Barrel Jellyfish and Giant Lugworm

With youngsters back at school, the popular Wednesday Waders session for September catered for a more mature audience. The visit was led by marine biologists Sally and Annan from The Lancashire Wildlife Trust and with back up by Louise from the National Trust.

‘The lugworms on the beach here in Formby can be really enormous’ Sally told us as she used her smartphone to get a picture.