Planet Fungi

A Photographer's Foray

Catherine Marciniak, Stephen Axford, Tom May

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

CSIRO Publishing
01 August 2025

Service industries; Mathematics & Sciences; Botany & plant sciences; Plant ecology; Biodiversity

Fungi are nature’s great networkers, weaving connections, driving transformation and thriving in the most unexpected places. Planet Fungi: A Photographer’s Foray is a feast for the eyes, with stunning imagery and pioneering explorations that reveal the intricacies of fungal biology and their ecological significance.

It was a chance encounter in the forest with a purple mushroom that completely changed photographer Stephen Axford’s view of the world. He became obsessed with documenting the largely unexplored kingdom of fungi and, alongside his partner, Catherine Marciniak, capturing the beauty and diversity of fungi in some of the most remote regions on Earth. There are an estimated 2–5 million species of fungi found all over the world, yet with only around 155,000 described so far, there is so much left to discover.

From glowing mushrooms in ancient forests to bizarre, alien-like forms, these extraordinary organisms will challenge how you see the natural world.

“A stunning exploration of a hidden world. These are among the most remarkable images of fungi I’ve ever seen, woven into relation by a series of writings that beautifully illuminate the mysteries and wonders of fungal life.”

– Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life

“A wondrous journey through epic fungal encounters, with sublime photography and beautiful tales.”

– Giuliana Furci, Founding Director, Fungi Foundation

By: Catherine Marciniak, Stephen Axford, Tom May
Imprint: CSIRO Publishing
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 276mm, Width: 237mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 1.600kg
ISBN: 9781486318186
ISBN 10: 1486318185
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 01 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Catherine Marciniak is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer and journalist with over 80 hours of television credits, multi-screen exhibitions and numerous articles. She co-wrote the IMAX documentary Fungi: Web of Life and directed and co-produced Follow the Rain, exploring the world of fungi. As a features reporter with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, she is a two-time finalist in the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. Stephen Axford is renowned for his macro fungi photography, which has been featured in publications and exhibitions worldwide. His fungi time-lapses appear in award-winning documentaries such as Planet Earth 2, Hostile Planet, Our Planet, The Kingdom, Fantastic Fungi and the IMAX documentary Fungi: Web of Life. He co-writes and presents Planet Fungi’s video productions, including their latest feature documentary Follow the Rain, capturing the intricate beauty of fungi globally. Dr Tom May, mycologist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria for nearly three decades, has a distinguished research career and a passion for communicating and educating about fungi. Former President of Fungimap, he co-authored FunKey and Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers (CSIRO Publishing, 2021). His contributions, spanning science and citizen science, have been recognised by award of the Nancy T. Burbidge Medal and the Australian Natural History Medallion.