North West and North Wales plant pathology and mycology group

North West and North Wales plant pathology and mycology group

172 NORTH WEST AND NORTH WALES PLANT PATHOLOGY AND MYCOLOGY GROUP This Group held its third meeting at the School of Plant Biology, University Colleg...

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NORTH WEST AND NORTH WALES PLANT PATHOLOGY AND MYCOLOGY GROUP This Group held its third meeting at the School of Plant Biology, University College of North Wales, Bangor, on 22 March, 1982. A total of nine research papers were presented by postgraduate students and members of staff from the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, Liverpool Polytechnic and U.C.N.W., Bangor, to more than fifty participants. Lunch and a small poster session showing current research activities in the School of Plant Biology, Bangor, gave participants an opportunity for relaxed informal discussions between the two sessions devoted to research papers. The next meeting of the Group will be at the University of Manchester in September 1982, and further details can be obtained from Dr George Taylor, Department of Botany, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL. Richard Shattock

THE LEICESTERSHIRE FUNGI STUDY GROUP As a result of two years Adult Education sessions about fungi it became clear to several people involved that Leicestershire needed its own fungus study group. On the 4th December 1981, a group was formally constituted, a committee elected and members signed up at £2.50 each. Early in 1981 we became affiliated to the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society which offered us free access to the museum premises and facilities. During 1982 we held eleven indoor meetings, mainly dealing with basic fungal biology, ecology and taxonomy and seven forays, one as a study week-end jointly with the Warwickshire Flora group and one as a week-end in the New Forest in conjunction with the BMS. This is briefly our history but it may be of interest to others who might be thinking of forming similar groups to reflect on _one or two points:1.

2.

Of our present 34 members of all ages, none (including myself) can be considered experienced mycologists. Some are very new to the subject. Others have had an interest for three or four years. Others' experience is a little longer. The committee have deliberately attempted to cater for that diversity. To that end our progress in collecting identifying and processing specimens may be slower than more expert groups, but we feel we should be nurturing the nascent interest as well as developing the more mature one.

Finally a plea; the load of organising and conducting forays and meetings has so far fallen on a few people and we would be very greatly helped by mycologists outside Leicestershire coming to our meetings and sharing their expertise with us. Thus if you receive a request from us please give it your greatest possible consideration. C.N.G. Scotter Chairman