It was a delight to lead four citizen-science lichen walks in Kensington Gardens this month for The Royal Parks! Despite the colder weather on one of the two days, a total of about 80 members of the public attended, fired up by an interest in these fascinating but all-too-often overlooked life-forms.
London’s old smoggy, sulphury air once made the city a lichen desert. But lichens have slowly returned over past decades. During the course of our walks, we observed over two dozen species of lichens, plus two species of lichenicolous fungi. Some species had never previously been recorded in Kensington Gardens or Hyde Park, including Athallia cerinella, which was only the second record for central London!
The outreach team at The Royal Parks received very positive feedback from participants, and they sent me this lovely testimonial of their own:
It was a pleasure working with Anthony for our Help Nature Thrive citizen science project. His knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for lichens was infectious- our citizen scientists left with smiles on their faces, inspired to spread the word about incredible lichens! Our biodiversity team also will benefit from the new species records collected on the surveys, with some species previously unrecorded in our central parks.
Many thanks to Gemma Hindi and The Royal Parks outreach team for inviting me to lead these citizen-science walks. I hope we have another opportunity to work together.
Learning lichens: a walk in the park
Step out with Aspen Ecology and the Help Nature Thrive team from The Royal Parks, as we explore the fascinating and beautiful world of lichens in Kensington Gardens.
Discover why lichens are returning to the centre of London after decades of absence, understand their vital importance for the ecology and wildlife of the park, and learn how to identify common species.
We will be recording the lichens we find, so join us as citizen scientists to collect valuable data which will help us understand urban lichen biodiversity and monitor any changes.
You will see lichens in a whole new light, and a walk through the park will never be quite the same again!
Anthony is the field lichenologist behind Aspen Ecology. A committed naturalist, educator and communicator, he is a knowledgeable guide and responsive advisor on the remarkable world of lichens.
The field notes and lab notes for various lichen species on this website refer to special field-lichenological techniques. Examples include collecting lichens in the field, testing lichens with chemicals and ultraviolet light, and dissecting lichens with razors or other sharp tools.
These and other field-lichenological techniques require special knowledge and experience. They also demand an ethics of respect for lichens and other wildlife, for conservationally significant species and sites, and for land and landowners.
You should not attempt any of these techniques if you lack the necessary knowledge, experience or ethical sense. You should also take all relevant safety precautions. More information about field-lichenological safety and ethics is available from the British Lichen Society .
