Ear’s Something Wonderful in Badock’s Wood
28/01/2025
By Ella Tainton
I have worked at Southmead Development Trust for six years and my walk to and from work takes me through Southmead’s beautiful Badock’s Wood. For most of this time I have seen seasonal changes, tuned into different natural processes, and listened to the water running in the River Trym. But every time I have walked past one particular fallen tree branch.
Its location has shifted a little here and there as the weather, walkers, and nosey dogs have pushed it around, but I always look out for it. This is because it is home to jelly ear mushrooms. Fungi like jelly ears are an important part of woodland cycles. They break down the old and dead wood of trees like elder, ash, beech, and sycamore, into products that go on to feed the woodland.
Jelly ears appear all year round but you often get flushes after summer rain and damp autumnal weather, and I always check whether they have made an appearance. Recently the log has been covered in them and as the mushrooms fall off it looks like little ears are listening to you from the woodland floor.
Despite the idea of fallen ears seeming quite sinister, I think there is something fascinating and charming about something so accidentally human-like naturally occurring in our woodlands. I think they might be one of my favourite things to spot as they begin to emerge out of tiny cracks in the wood. Natural power lies within hidden spaces – enough to break down whole tree branches.
So, even in winter there is nature to spot in our community green spaces. Why not embrace the season by getting out and seeing what you can spot?
