A unique collection of over 1000 fungal-themed stamps collected by the late Prof. Walter (Wally) Marasas is now on display in FABI thanks to a custom-made cabinet commissioned by Prof. Mike Wingfield. The cabinet was unveiled at an informal function. The collection of stamps was made by Prof. Marasas over a life-time of collecting stamps depicting fungi and bequeathed to Mike as part of Prof. Marasas’ estate after he passed away on 6 June 2012. After stepping down as the Director of FABI, Mike decided to donate this exceptional collection, one of the biggest fungal-themed stamp collections in the world, to FABI as an appropriate part of the history of the Institute. In addition to the stamps depicting fungi, Prof Marasas also left a very large collection of  stamps depicting flowering plants to Mike. These have interestingly also been catalogued based on the taxonomy of the plants and has also gifted that collection to FABI.

An unusual feature of the collection is the fact that it is catalogued based on the taxonomy  of the illustrated fungi – the idea of Prof. Marasas who was an exceptionally gifted and passionate mycologist.  Some time prior to his untimely death, he had convinced his friends Prof. Mike Wingfield and Prof. Pedro Crous to work with him and his wife Hendrieka (Rika) Marasas to publish a book on this stamp collection. Given that they had little knowledge of stamps or stamp collecting, finalizing the project without its originator was difficult and the result perhaps not perfect. Yet the book “Philatelic Mycology: Families of fungi” was completed and published in 2004 as part of the Fungal Biodiversity Series of the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.

The collection can be viewed at its location outside the auditorium in FABI Square.