Home is where the heart-rot is - Art exhibition

Dr Rich Wright, Cardiff University is showing a sculpture in ‘Hot Rot’, an exhibition in Bristol this weekend.

2- 4 May at Kit Form, Jamaica Street, Bristol, BS28JP.

The piece is called ‘Home is where the heart-rot is’. It is about his research into the fungal communities of oak trees and the vibrant biodiversity that their decay processes promote. Made from leftover oak heartwood blocks, used in his experiments into the ecology of this amazing community. The blocks have had seven key oak fungi grown on them, each leaving its own characteristic decay colours and patterns. 

He will be using this piece to raise awareness of the importance of the irreplaceable biodiversity havens that veteran and ancient oak trees, and their habitat engineering fungi provide. 

Heart-rot is hugely important as habitat for invertebrates, over 1700 species depend on this type of decaying wood in the UK alone; and over 1000 species of birds and mammals worldwide use hollow trees as habitats (Boddy 2021).

You can read about Rich’s research, Elucidating heart-rot fungal communities, in our 2022-23 Annual Report.