Lawyer's Bedroom Blooms With Dung Fungi

Alfred Drummond-Herdman, a 27-year-old trainee lawyer based in Edinburgh, has established an extraordinary fungal observation space within his own bedroom. His unusual hobby involves cultivating fungi derived from diverse animal dung samples, including cowpats, grouse droppings, and rabbit pellets, housed in terrariums and containers. This unique pursuit stems from a pandemic-era encounter with mushrooms on cowpats in Scotland's Ochil Hills.

Drummond-Herdman employs macro photography, microscopy, and time-lapse videos to meticulously document the development of these coprophilous fungi. Some of his captivating footage has garnered millions of views online, attracting a substantial following on platforms like Instagram. His interest has extended beyond public engagement into formal scientific taxonomy, contributing to the description of new fungal species.

His contributions are not limited to social media; Drummond-Herdman has co-authored a peer-reviewed paper published in Phytotaxa in 2025, which described a new coprophilous fungal species from Scotland. This work highlights how amateur observations, when combined with scientific methods like microscopy and genetic analysis, can significantly advance mycology and reveal the hidden biodiversity present in overlooked environments like animal dung.