GLOBAL RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK
Planet Fungi
A Photographer’s Foray
Catherine Marciniak, Stephen Axford and Tom May
NOW AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Follow the Rain
new feature documentary from Planet Fungi
PLANET FUNGI STUDY GUIDE
Bring the Magic of Fungi
into the Classroom
Follow the Rain – our award-winning fungi documentary – along with an exciting new Study Guide for Schools, is now available for teachers and parents who want to bring the wonder of nature into young minds.
Planet Fungi is the collaborative lens of photographer Stephen Axford and filmmaker/writer Catherine Marciniak, revealing the hidden kingdom of fungi, one mesmerising frame at a time.
COFFEE TABLE BOOK
Planet Fungi:
A Photographer’s Foray
Get ready for a visual feast – Planet Fungi: A Photographer’s Foray is packed with breathtaking imagery and pioneering fungi safaris that dig deep into the hidden world of fungi.
It all started with a chance encounter in the forest – a purple mushroom that stopped photographer Stephen Axford in his tracks. From that moment on, he was hooked.
With his partner, filmmaker Catherine Marciniak, the two set off to reveal the beauty and science of fungi in some of the most remote corners of the planet.
Fungi are nature’s master connectors – shaping ecosystems, sparking transformation, and popping up in the most surprising places. This book invites you into their strange, spectacular world.
Authors: Catherine Marciniak, Stephen Axford and Tom May
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
Follow the Rain
World-famous fungi hunters Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak invite audiences on a unique expedition into the wilderness of Australia, where the symbiotic dance between fungi, plants and animals unlocks nature's greatest secrets.
They trace the rain’s path through ancient forests and deserts – capturing stellar time-lapse footage and uncovering fungi both bizarre and breathtaking. From a bright blue mushroom never before documented by science to creepy “zombie” Cordyceps in action, this cinematic fungi safari reveals the hidden foundation of life on Earth and how these overlooked organisms may hold the key to climate resilience.
NOW AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
FOLLOW THE RAIN TEACHER PACK
Bring the Magic of Fungi into the Classroom
We're thrilled to share Follow the Rain – our award-winning fungi documentary has been paired up with a Study Guide for Schools, created for Years 3–8 and aligned with the Australian curriculum.
Developed by Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM), this engaging resource links science, the arts, and media studies with fun hands-on activities and learning.
Outreach campaign and study guide generously financed by Michelle Marie Bailey.
For more information contact ATOM shop@atom.org.au
About Planet Fungi
We are Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak of Planet Fungi. For over a decade, we have been documenting fungi in photographs and videos across Asia and Australia.
You may have seen our time-lapses of fungi growing in David Attenborough's Planet Earth 2 or featured in the Netflix documentary Fantastic Fungi. Or perhaps you recognise some of Stephen's macro photographs from international nature journals.
You can check out what we do on Instagram and YouTube - @Planet_Fungi.
We document fungi because humans are only just starting to understand how important fungi are to life on our planet and how critical they are in protecting us from the impacts of climate change. We realise now that without fungi, the world as we know it would not exist - forests would not exist, and we would not exist. Now the push is on to document as many species as possible, as fast as possible. Raising awareness about fungi is critical to achieving that goal.
“Without fungi there would be no forests”
— Stephen Axford, Photographer & Presenter