An Enchantment of Fungi

Throughout May and June, our gallery (located in the stairwell between Levels 1 and 2) will feature some amazing fungi photos, taken by photographer Hayley May.

Background

Over the last three years, you may have come across Hayley at ground level in Zealandia, intently focusing on tiny mushrooms, orchids, and other minute forest taonga. As a project for Zealandia’s volunteer Storyteller group, she was set a photo essay challenge to capture the fungi in the Sanctuary.

The online photo essay was a huge success and spawned a continuing passion for fungi photography. Fast-forward a couple of years and this time Hayley’s challenge was to print and exhibit a collection of her most favourite fungi photos – all taken at Zealandia.

Now that autumn has arrived, the fungi are flourishing. She hopes this exhibition will encourage you to stop and look up and down and all around. For each photograph, Hayley has indicated which track in Zealandia she saw it and the approximate size. Some are surprisingly big but some are surprisingly small and you will need your sharpest eyes to spot them. The good news is you will likely be joined by the ever-present friendly toutouwai (North Island robin) also searching for tiny treasures.

Hayley is an amateur photographer shooting with an Olympus micro-four-thirds camera. By day she is a milliner who works in the film industry.

Archival A4 prints on museum-grade fine-art paper are available in the Zealandia gift shop and A3 prints are available by request. Please ask at the desk to order.

Follow Hayley on Instagram to see even more fungi – she will be posting fungi photos every day in May and encourages you to do the same using the hashtag #fungiadayinmay.