You've seen this mushroom before...

Even if you've never been to the lake.

Bright red.

White spots.

It's the mushroom from fairy tales, storybooks, video games, and movies. It's inspired everything from fairy houses and garden gnomes to Mario's power-up mushrooms. Many people even believe its colours helped inspire the modern image of Santa Claus.

If you asked a child to draw a mushroom...

This is probably what they'd draw.

But nature has a surprise.

Those white spots aren't part of the mushroom at all. They're simply pieces of a thin white veil that covered the young mushroom as it grew. As the cap expands, the veil tears apart, leaving behind the familiar white patches.

Next time you're at Ashby...

If you spot one, take a picture.

Then think about all the places you've seen this mushroom before.

Fairy tales.

Smurfs.

Mario.

Christmas cards.

For thousands of years, this little red mushroom has captured human imagination almost as much as it has captured the forest.