On Thursday evening last week, almost 80 people joined me as part of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust‘s excellent ‘Wildlife Live’ series of webinars. Many were logging in from Suffolk, of course, but some from other parts of the UK as well, and even from as far afield as Australia and the USA. And a pre-webinar poll revealing that 90% of them had little or no previous exposure to lichens, so they were taking their first steps along the path to ‘enlichenment’ with me. Brilliant!
During the question session after my talk, the youngest member of the audience (at a tender eight years of age) asked me which lichen was my favourite. There’s so much beauty and variety in the world of lichens that it’s hard to say, but there’s always a special place in my affections for the first lichen that I ever really ‘saw’ up close: Variospora flavescens.
Many thanks to the webinar attendees for their lovely feedback:
Amazing talk!! So so engaging and so much interesting knowledge, really great to listen.
It was absolutely excellent. Just fascinating and brilliantly presented. I can’t wait to find out more and start looking at lichen in more detail.
That was absolutely inspiring. Thank you.
Many thanks once again to the SWT for another opportunity to introduce the public to the curiously beautiful and endlessly fascinating world of lichens.
Wildlife Live webinar: Lichens
Lichens could be the poster child for neglected biodiversity. Few people really notice them, and even fewer care about them. But lichens aren’t only curiously beautiful, they also play an outsized and important ecological role. What’s more, they’re unique on Earth. This webinar will introduce you to the fascinating world of lichens, but beware! Once you’ve taken your first steps along the path to ‘enlichenment’, you’ll start an exciting new journey that you won’t want to end!
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 .
