'Click, don't pick' warning as fungi posts mushroom

Social media posts showcasing fungi picking is affecting a forest's ecosystem, according to officials.

Picking wild mushrooms from Epping Forest in Essex is banned under by-laws but fungi-related content has surged in popularity online.

Foragers risk getting fined or prosecuted for picking the mushrooms, but they can also be poisonous if eaten.

Caroline Haines, the chair of the City Corporation's Epping Forest and Commons Committee, said posts showing mushrooms being collected "can encourage others to follow suit" and urged people to "click, don't pick".

Picking the fungi can disrupt the forest's ecosystem, which helps recycle nutrients, support wildlife, and preserve some 55,000 ancient trees.

However, fungi-related content continues to grow in popularity on social media, with posts showcasing unusual mushrooms and foraging finds attracting large audiences.

Epping Forest stretches from Manor Park to Epping and covers around 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares).

Haines said it was one of the country's most important habitats for fungi and many species depended on being left undisturbed.

She added: "If somebody clears mushrooms from the bottom of a tree, they stop feeding the tree nutrients.

"We want everyone to enjoy the forest and experience its remarkable wildlife. Our message is simple - click, don't pick."

The City Corporation, which manages Epping Forest as a registered charity, said its open spaces had been home to several significant fungi discoveries in recent years.

In 2024, a new species of mushroom, Hydropus inopinatus, was discovered in Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire.

In 2025, the UK's first confirmed record of a rare fungus species, Russula blumiana, was made in Epping Forest.

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