Silver birches are perhaps the most recogniseable of the woodland trees. It's a pioneer species which is often found in new areas of woodland. They grow quick and have several bush craft uses - namely their bark but you can also tap a birch tree in the spring for a fresh sugary drink.



Birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) is a bracket fungus found often on (here's a surprise here!) birch or oak trees. It is quite destructive - parasitic even - and you'll often find it on already fallen trees or in dying groves of birch trees. During my morning walk today we found several groves of dying birches - most of which had snapped in half and come tumbling down. There's nothing you can do about this, it's nature clearing the woods for a stronger species.



The fungus starts out budding like a ball, but soon folds over to make a distinctive, smooth rim around the pore surface.



Taking bracket fungus really isn't going to harm the tree or the spore - though you should only ever take what you need.



Its uses go back centuries as a firestarter*, but it can also be used for sharpening razors (as a strop) or as we've said, as a plaster!



*5,300 years ago (approx) a guy named by the researchers as Otzi was murdered in the alps. Preserved perfectly, among his possessions was powdered birch poly pore which was used in fire lighting



