Eight new species of fungi have been discovered, carrying the island’s documented list of the organisms to 185.

The discovery came during a January visit by Lawrence Millman, a renowned researcher and associate at Harvard University in Massachusetts.

The Bermuda Zoological Society has hosted Dr Millman since 2017, enabling collaboration with Robbie Smith, curator of the Natural History Museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

The two scientists collected and documented the diversity of fungi in parks and nature reserves across the island.

They led groups on exploration exercises at Cooper’s Island and Southlands in January, producing a guide on the organisms.

Dr Smith said: “The field guide was very well received by these groups. We had great luck in finding most of the species in the guide.

“The BZS Education team participated as did Bermudian photographer Tristan Narraway, who contributed several excellent images for the guide.”

After his first few trips, Dr Millman documented 42 new species for Bermuda, up from the original 1942 list of 62 fungi species. Dr Smith said each visit produced more.

Most recently, teams of intrepid fungi hunters found a variety of different organisms, and collected more material for the Natural History Museum.

Dr Millman, who is a mycologist — a scientist who studies and documents fungi — soon determined that he had never seen the eight species prior to the trip.

Dr Millman has authored several books and produced field guides on fungi in North America and St Vincent and the Grenadines. He has also led expeditions to the Arctic.

The BZS said Dr Smith and Dr Millman decided field trips would introduce the guide to Bermudians with an interest in fungi.

The society’s education team has taken the guide to primary school groups at Southlands Park as part of its “P1 Wild Things” classes.

Children enjoyed the search, especially for organisms with colourful names such as “Dead man’s Fingers” and “Dog Vomit Slime”.

The society said its classes took inspiration from forest education and outdoor learning approaches offering children “time and space to explore, move, observe and engage with the natural environment at their own pace”.

A spokeswoman said: “The focus is on building confidence outdoors, developing curiosity and supporting learning through play, sensory experiences and shared discovery.

“The experience follows the Creative Curriculum principles supporting early learning through exploration, as well as hands-on introduction to the biology aspects of the Cambridge Curriculum Science objectives.”

The classes are part of the BZS Living Classroom sessions, inspiring students to step into nature and study local plants and animals.

• The field guide Common Fungi of Bermuda is available for purchase for $10 at the BAMZ gift shop. Educators interested in the P1 Southlands Wild Things excursions and other BZS schools programme classes can contact Hollyanna Shirley, the BZS education administrator, at edadmin@bzs.bm or call 293-2727 ext 2181.