Nature Diary, Clever Little Survivors

I have no idea what the name of these intriguing little life forms is but I imagine they’re either mushrooms or toadstools. I will not be even thinking about eating them but I see something or other has had a little nibble of some. But what I’ve learned recently is that they are amongst the oldest forms of life to have existed on Planet Earth, and that scientists have only recently started to discover that they are in fact the largest forms of plant life on Earth due to the fact that they connect to each other over hundreds and hundreds of miles. It seems they also play an important part in the life and the longevity of trees…. 
And they look so humble sitting there quietly, increasing in group size day by day, helping the planet to survive instead of destroying it the way some species are continuing to do…. 
Thought for the day.