British Mycological Society

The British Mycological Society is a learned society established in 1896 to promote the study of fungi.[1]

British Mycological Society
Formation1896
TypeBiology Society
Registration no.276503
Legal statusCharity
Purpose
  • Mycological Study
  • Research
HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
Region served
United Kingdom
Official language
English
Activities
  • Research
  • Publications
  • Lectures
  • Events
Collections
Archives
Publications
President
J. Quinn
Websitebritmycolsoc.org.uk

Formation

BMS Haslemere fungus foray, 1905

The British Mycological Society (BMS) was formed by the combined efforts of two local societies: the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club of Hereford and the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. The Curator of the Hereford Club, Dr. H. G. Bull, convinced the members in 1867 to undertake the particular study of mushrooms. While the mycological efforts of the Club diminished somewhat after Dr. Bull's death, the Union of Yorkshire founded its Mycological Committee in 1892. This Committee attracted the involvement of many eminent mycologists including George Edward Massee (1845–1917), James Needham (1849–1913), Charles Crossland (1844-1916), and Henry Thomas Soppitt (1843-1899). Mycologist Kathleen Sampson was a member for sixty years, as well as serving as president in 1938.[2]

The need for a national organisation and the need for a journal to publish their observations led Cooke, Rea, Massee, and other mycologists (including Charles Crossland and James Needham) to found the Society in 1896. The Society's founding officers were Rea (Secretary), Crossland (Treasurer), and Massee (President). The choice of the latter as President was based on his international reputation (with more than 250 mycological publications) and role as the mycologist at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (where he replaced Cooke as mycologist in 1893). In 1897, Rea assumed the additional role of Treasurer, also continuing as Secretary (until 1918), and was also Editor (until 1930).[1] However, Massee and a number of Yorkshire mycologists soon left the BMS, preferring to remain with the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union.[3]

Membership

By 1903, the Society's Members numbered over a hundred, which had increased to over four hundred (by shortly after World War II), and had reached over two thousand by 2006.[1]

Before World War II, Honorary Membership was awarded to:[1]

Publications

From 1896, the Society began publishing its annual journal, Transactions of the British Mycological Society (1896–1989), which became Mycological Research (1989–2010) and was renamed Fungal Biology (2010).

In 1967, the Society began publishing the Bulletin of the British Mycological Society (1967–87), which was renamed The Mycologist (1987–2007) and later became Fungal Biology Reviews (2007). A new journal was also launched entitled Fungal Ecology.

In 2000, the Society began publishing the quarterly journal, Field Mycology (2000) for the study and identification of wild fungi.

Periodically, the Society also publishes symposia in the British Mycological Society Symposium Series on a particular theme. The first was Genetics and Physiology of Aspergillus, edited by John E. Smith and John A. Pateman (1977), and there have been twenty-four symposia published as of 2006.[1] The BMS is also responsible for the management of the FRDBI (Fungal Records Database of Britain & Ireland).[5] The FRDBI holds over 1.5m records and is a major resource for conservation and research purposes.[6]

The Society also publishes many other items, from fine art prints to illustrated pocket identification guides, as well as a range of curriculum resources for teachers.[1]


Activities

The Society's Mission Statement is to 'promote Fungal Science Internationally' with the objectives to:

  1. Encourage those interested in fungi and related organisms to join the Society and to take part in our events, whether in a professional or amateur capacity.
  2. Promote the recognition of fungal science in the UK and internationally.
  3. Support and grow the key areas of Society activities to promote further understanding of fungal science and to inspire future generations of mycologists.
  4. Support the Society's academic publications and other resources on fungal biology for the international community.
  5. Organise conferences, workshops and other activities supporting mycology.
  6. Promote networking across the fungal science community and maintain strong links with other relevant national and international learned societies and organisations.
  7. Ensure the Society's resources are utilised effectively to further fungal science.

Presidents

See also

References

  1. Webster, John (1997). "Presidential Address 1996 : The British Mycological Society, 1896–1996". Mycological Research. 101 (10): 1153–1178. doi:10.1017/S0953756297004553.
  2. Haines, Catharine M. C; Stevens, Helen M (2001). International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950. ABC-CLIO. p. 277.
  3. Smith, Nathan (12 November 2020). "A Mycological Book Collection". specialcollections-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk. Cambridge University Library Special Collections. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  4. Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey; Harvey, Joy Dorothy (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 795. ISBN 9780415920407.
  5. Kirk, Paul; Cooper, Jerry. "What's New (and not so new)". basidiochecklist,science.kew. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  6. "The British Mycological Society". www.britmycolsoc.org.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  7. Smith, Nathan (2020). "A Figure in the Fog: George Edward Massee". The Naturalist. 145 (1103): 8–12.
  8. Hadley, Geoffrey (October 2007). "Stephen Angus Hutchinson, 1914–2005: an appreciation". Mycological Research. 111 (10): 1249–1252. doi:10.1016/j.mycres.2006.11.011.
  9. "1921-97: John Malcolm ('Jim') Hirst, FRS". Plant Pathology. 47 (5): 543. October 1998. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3059.1998.00289.x.
  10. Hadley, Geoffrey (October 2008). "Geoffrey John Frederick Pugh, 1924–2006: an authority on decomposition by soil fungi". Mycological Research. 112 (10): 1256–1260. doi:10.1016/j.mycres.2008.08.001.
  11. Blackwell, Meredith M.; Samson, Robert A.; Seifert, Keith A.; Spooner, Brian M.; Hawksworth, David L.; Hill, David J. (December 2018). "Awards and Personalia". IMA Fungus. 9 (2): A61–A67. doi:10.1007/BF03449439.
  12. Lucas, John (2010). "Obituary: Robert J.W. Byrde 1922-2010" (PDF). britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. p. 11. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  13. "Dr Robert J. W. Byrde". Plant Pathology. 53 (5): 540. October 2004. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3059.2004.01065.x.
  14. Dyer, Paul S.; Bradshaw, Rosie E.; Whalley, Tony J.S. (10 June 2020). "Prof John Frederick Peberdy 8th Nov 1937– 4th May 2020". britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  15. "The Passing of Prof Tony Trinci". britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  16. Gull, Keith (October 2020). "In memoriam: Anthony Peter Joseph Trinci (1936-2020)". fungalinfectiontrust.org. Fungal Infection Trust. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  17. "Jones, E. B. Gareth (Evan Benjamin Gareth) 1937-". worldcat.org/. Worldcat Identities. 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  18. Moore, David (7 December 2016). "The life and times of David Moore". davidmoore.org.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  19. Dick, Michael W. (February 2004). "Stephen Thomas Moss (1943–2001): leading fungal ultrastructuralist and promoter of mycology". Mycological Research. 108 (2): 214–220. doi:10.1017/S0953756203009092.
  20. Gadd, Geoff (2018). "Dr Geoff Robson 1962 - 2018". britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  21. Magan, Naresh; Avery, Simon (14 May 2020). "The Passing of Prof Nick Read". britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  22. "Council". britmycolsoc.org.uk. British Mycological Society. 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

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