No idea what to do with the children at weekends? Have you thought of taking them on a local mushroom and toadstool hunt? That is what the members of the ABFG (Association of British Fungus Groups) would like to encourage more people to get involved in.

The West Sussex branch of the Association began three years ago and I met some members yesterday at Springwatch Festival in Stanmer Park, eager to dispel the myths surrounding the much maligned toadstool.

"People always have this idea that toadstools are poisonous but mushrooms are ok," said Michael Jordan (no relation to the famous US basketball player). "But we are hoping to get people to understand that they are a very important part of conserving the landscape."

Mr Jordan said there are 16,500 different species of fungi in the UK. Contrary to the erroneous belief that fungi just look similar to mushrooms, they can often come in a variety of shapes and colours.

The group had a variety on display, some striped, some purple, some spotted, and a rare blue kind. I knew instantly there was more to these toadstools than meets the eye. There is.

One fact I learned is that the majority of toadstools are harmless if eaten by humans. Only a small fraction of them are seriously poisonous.

In fact many fungi are disappearing because of loss of habitat, changes in agricultural practices, depletion of woodlands, and overpicking. Yet scientists now realise that many fungus species play a vital role in gardens, forests and fields.

Michael Jordan explained, "Fungi connect to the roots of trees. They can exchange materials. Fungi can store ten times the amount of water than the roots of a tree can. This is because their roots go far under the soil."

Michael Jordan explained that the roots are like white cotton wool and can spread very far. They can pass water to the trees. Clearly their ability to hold so much water is valuable in times of drought and they can cope better in poor soils than other plants.

The ABFG was founded in 1996 by Mr Jordan to promote greater awareness of mycological flora (the fungi that have these water holding powers) so that they can be conserved for the future.

The Association also record where and how often the different types of fungi appear all over the UK.

For anyone who is interested you can access the database online at www.abfg.org where close to 3/4 million fungi are recorded, and you can find out different areas where the fungi are most concentrated. Indeed, West Sussex is fortunate in possessing a wealth of fungus-rich woodlands.

There are regular groups of the ABFG around the country and anyone is welcome to join them. Some people come along on the walks to paint or take photographs of the fungi, some come just to eat mushrooms, but all are welcome so long as they are happy to learn and prepared to respect the countryside.

Michael Jordan said, "We are very family orientated, you can bring your family and the dog."

If you would like to know more or when walks are taking place you can find out where your nearest group is by contacting Mr Jordan and the members via the website www.abfg.org