What is
Fungi Fest?
An annual month-long festival of events that use creativity to explore the fantastic world of Mycology. Launched in Tauranga (BOP) 14th March 2024.
Includes a range of events, for example:
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Expert talks
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Creative workshops; pottery, metalwork, woodwork, painting, textiles and more!
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Food events
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Film events
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Fungi walks and photography
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Fungarium building workshops
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Free community workshops
Part of the festival is held in collaboration with Envirohub Bay of Plenty’s Sustainable Backyards program.
Tauranga City Library hosts our fungi information talks and our all-ages colouring in competition. Each year we get a different NZ based creative to do the design.
What is Mycology?
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans.
Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and infection. Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ.
Fungi also plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle because of their ability to break down complex organic biomolecules and pollutants.
With around 90,000 species, and thousands described every year, it is estimated that there might be more than one million fungal species in the world, which makes the fungal kingdom one of the most important.
2025 Colouring Competition!
In collaboration with Te Ao Mārama – Tauranga City Library.
Check out the 2025 fungi filled colouring in competition created by Tauranga Artist Sarah Summers. Download the PDF to print at home by clicking HERE. Or pick up a sheet from your local Tauranga Library - Greerton, Tauranga City, The Mount or Papamoa.
Prize includes: Gel pens, mushroom stickers, enamel mushroom pins, mushroom sticky notes and a $20 Whitcoulls voucher.
How to enter:
Take a good quality photo of your finished page and email to competition@ecoscievents.org.nz Entries must be submitted by email, paper copies will not be accepted. Entries close 4th May. The winner will be drawn at random, from the top chosen entries in each age category (there is no age limit!), and will be contacted via email on 11th May. Prize must be collected from a Te Ao Mārama – Tauranga City Library.
Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone who entered the Fungi Fest NZ and Te Ao Mārama – Tauranga City Library colouring in competition. We had 49 entries this year. It took our judge, Sarah Summers, sometime to pick the winners...
The main category winners
Ages 0-5 : Alexander
Ages 6-9 : Care
Ages 10-15 : Mila
Ages 16+ : Charlie
Sarah also decided to include 3 special categories, based on the entries…
Funniest : Frankie 7yrs - for her popcorn bucket
Most creative : Kaitlyn 10yrs
Most Unique : Lila 9yrs
Alexander was drawn as the overall prize winner!
Sarah liked all the entries so much that she organised extra prizes for all of the winners. Thank you all for taking the time to enter.
2025 Fungi Hunt Competition NZ with iNaturalist
Join the hunt! Get outdoors and discover the magical world of fungi with Envirohub BOP and Fungi Fest NZ this April.
Snap and upload photos of any fungi you find throughout the month – every fungi observation = 1 entry into the draw to win awesome prizes, including:
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1-year subscription to NZ Geographic Magazine
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3 x 1-year Digital Subscription to NZ Geographic
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Mushroomy goodies donated by our local legends!
How to enter:
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Join the iNaturalist project (using the button below)
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Upload your fungi finds any time during April 2025
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Follow along for updates and prize reveals
🌿 Envirohub BOP:
🍄 Fungi Fest NZ:
📸 NZ Geographic:
COMPETITION WINNERS
A massive thank you to everyone who joined our second annual Fungi Hunt with Envirohub and Fungi Fest NZ, what a wild and wonderful world of fungi you uncovered! We loved seeing all your incredible finds on iNaturalist.org!
Here are our winners! (iNaturalist usernames)
Most Entries – 1st Place: @corli
Most Entries – 2nd Place: @sarah_janenz
Most Entries – 3rd Place: @apeard37
Honourable Mention: @tonya_wills (moved up as @sarah_janenz also won 'Best Photo' and there is only one prize per person)
Lucky Draw Winner – Congrats to @otterfly
Best Photo – Well done @sarah_janenz
Ngā mihi to everyone who took part, your entries help contribute to real-world citizen science and protect the fungi in our forests. Until next year… happy hunting!
Community Activity Day 2025
But wait, theres more!
The awesome team at Flow State NZ have given us a Full Spectrum Bundle to give away so it's raffle time! We've managed to add a couple more goodies too, including a huge Amanita Muscaria plush.
Anthea Ibell from Remix Plastic has also kindly donated a couple of pairs of her special Entoloma Hochstetteri earrings for us to give away during this year's Fungi Fest NZ!
We've added a pair to our raffle and the other pair will be gifted to someone who has attended one of our events - so if you have came along to an event this Fungi Fest then you're already in to win! If not, there is still time.
With a total raffle prize package of over $250 in value, and tickets only $2 each, we think you'd be crazy to miss out on getting yourself in this draw!
Tickets can be purchased at most Fungi Fest NZ events or you can email fungifestnz@ecoscievents.org.nz to find out where you can purchase a ticket.
Congratulations to our raffle winner Paula Vigus!
Community Festival Day 2024
The EcoSci Creative Events team have partnered with Envirohub Bay of Plenty to bring you this one-day-only event that is not to be missed!!
Join us for the first every Fungi Fest NZ Community Day!
10am-2pm, Sunday 21st July
Envirohub, 31B Glasgow St, Tauranga
Koha/Donation Entry
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Education hub - with Peter Buchanan, Mycologist and Science Team Leader at Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
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Creative zone - with free painting and pottery making
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Giant fungi photo wall
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Live entertainment - poetry and music by local artists
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Food and beverage vendors
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Biolume Space - to navigate with UV lights
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Tattoo room and creative stalls
And it's all fungi and mushroom themed!!
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You might ask, 'What's the difference between fungi and mushrooms?', well you can head to our Education Hub and chat to our team and the expert, Peter, from Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research to find out and learn all about fungi and why they are so important to us all.
Then, head over to the Creative Zone and design your own mushroom to take home.
The Biolume Space will be filled with works based on bioluminescent fungi and mushrooms. Walk through spotting all the little mushrooms with a UV light in this one-of-a-kind experience. Including works by local artists Sam Allen, John and Nicci Baxter, and Darrinee Horton.
Turn up in a Fungi inspired costume for your chance to win prizes, including a one month free membership to Tinkd Makerspace where you can learn to 3D print, laser cut, sew, cut vinyl, and so much more! Prize entry closes at 1pm and will be announced at 1:30pm.
Spot prizes for creative ingenuity and clever upcycling. Make sure you register when you arrive.
- Congratulations to all our winners!
Check out the creative stalls to get some unique fungi inspired wares or get your first, or latest, fungi tattoo in the tattoo green room (bookings will be first come, first served and cash only). Tattoo artists @bykaysey and Zoom Zoom Boys.
Enter the raffle for a chance to win a copy of the Fungi of Aotearoa book by Liv Sisson, and other great prizes.
We are proud to say that this will be an event safe for everyone to visit and enjoy.
And the best part? You choose what it will cost! We believe in removing financial barriers so you decide how much to pay for entry as we know not everyone can afford to pay what they would like to. No ticket is required, there will be a Koha/donation table at the entry. All funds raised will go towards supporting this, and future, events as we are a not-for-profit charitable organisation.
Proudly supported by...
Tauranga City Council Creative Communities Scheme, Flow State NZ, Tauranga - The Pottery Studio, Tinkd Makerspace and Manaaki Whenua -Landcare Research.
This is a drug-free, alcohol-free and smoke-free event.
FFNZ 2024
14th March to 14th April
We are proud to have launched the inaugural Fungi Fest NZ in Tauranga, 14th March to 14th April 2024. This was a first-of-its-kind festival for New Zealand - 27 fungi themed events over 4 ½ weeks!
It was about time New Zealand had a Fungi Festival!
The point of this mycology-themed festival is to use creative practice to educate the community on fungi and mushrooms, their important role in our ecosystem, and how to respect them when out and about. Taking place at the start of the main fungi season in New Zealand so that participants can then go out fungi searching with their new found knowledge.
Fungi Fest Specials
We love a good special! For the duration of the festival, participating local foodies created some very special limited time only dishes, a 'Fungi Fest Special'. Order yours, snap a photo with it and upload it here (or send it to us on social media) and you will go in the draw to win a prize from that business (details below).
Only available during the month of Fungi Fest NZ!
Creamy mushrooms on ciabatta with poached egg, sprinkled with parmesan and basil.
Mushroom lovers unite and head down to IDK Cafe, a local secret tucked away in the Spring Street Arcade. A family run cafe with really great food and a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Location:
IDK Cafe, 46 Spring Street, Tauranga.
Coconut mousse, pineapple compote, spiced rum sponge and white chocolate.
Not a fan of mushrooms but love a good dessert? Then this is the special for you! And you may as well try one of their amazing dessert cocktails while you're there.
Location:
But First Dessert, Shop 6/109 Devonport Road, Access via Elizabeth Street, Tauranga.
Colour in to Win!
Check out the 2024 fungi filled colouring in competition created by avid fungi finder and creative genius Julie Davies! With great fungi activities on the back. Download the PDF to print at home by clicking HERE. Judged by Julie Davies and the Fungi Fest NZ team.
The winners:
A huge thank you to Emma James-Ries of Turned & Burned Aotearoa for donating a collection of wooden mushrooms and for overseeing the colouring in competition entries - you're a legend! And to Affixed NZ for the fungi pins and patches. Thank you to Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries for hosting our colouring in competition in their spaces - you guys rock! And an extra special THANK YOU to Julie Davies of Joolzart for donating 2 of her amazing Fungi colouring in books.
About Julie Davies - Joolzart
Julie recently created the 'Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand Colouring Book.' based on her fungi paintings which will be available for purchase at the Fungi Fest NZ Community Festival Day on Sunday 14th April. You can also email Julie at joolzart68@gmail.com to order a copy now or follow her on social media to see more of her creations.
The Events
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Launch Night (for the team and sponsors)
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Pottery Class 1: Little Fungi Friends
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Menacing Mushy Brooches Workshop with Darrinee Horton
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Fungi Photography Walk with Paula Vigus | Gapt.it Photography (Intermediate level)
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Photographing Fungi talk by Paula Vigus | Gapt.it Photography
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Upcycled Mushy Plushies Workshop with Cattalina Townsley - Sustainable Backyards
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Pottery Class 2: Mini Mushroom Houses (Clay + Wine night)
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Upcycled Fungi Cushions Workshop with Cattalina Townsley - Sustainable Backyards
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Fungi Fest Costume Making Workshop
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Felt Fungi Friends Workshop with Darrinee Horton
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Noho & Toi (Tahi): Fungi Māori Art Class 1 with Bernice Breckon
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Pottery Class 3: Fungi-themed Watering Spikes | Ollas (Clay + Wine night)
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Fungarium Building Workshop -Sustainable Backyards
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Mushroom Painting Drop-in Session (No booking necessary)
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Marbled Timber Fungi Friends Workshop with Emma James-Ries
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Fungi Finding & Photography Basics Walk with Lee Ormsby Andricksen
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Zentangle Metal Mushroom workshop with Ninette Kruger
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Fascinating Fungi: Basics & ID Skills talk with David Whyte (FUNNZ)
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Fungi Finding & Identification Walk with David Whyte (FUNNZ)
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Fungi Pyromania Workshop with Emma James-Ries
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Noho & Toi (Rua): Fungi Māori Art Class 2 with Bernice Breckon
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‘Fungi: Web of Life’ film showing + video Q&A with Stephen Axford & Catherine Marciniak
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Pottery Class 4: Gill Plates & Mushy Mugs (Clay + Wine Night)
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Like Mycorrhiza - food, knowledge & connection (food & film night)
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Mushroom Discovery Walk - Enjoying Nature (with activities)
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Upcycled Corflute Mushroom Painting Workshop - In collab with Envirohub
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Fungarium Building Workshop - In collab with Envirohub
Like Mycorrhiza:
Food, Knowledge & Connection
Attendees immersed themselves in an evening of culinary delights, film, live entertainment and meaningful connection. A delectable three-course mushroom centered meal and an enlightening film exploring the importance of fungi. Live music by the talented Sade Clarke and a fungi themed quiz with some strange questions and wonderful prizes.
Fungi Fest Displays
Papamoa Christmas Parade 2023
Promotion of the upcoming Fungi Fest NZ
A first-of-its kind festival for New Zealand!
Proudly Sponsored by
Fungi Fest NZ is Supported by
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