Churchyard Surveying

Churchyards are important sites for lichens that live on stone, especially in the areas of the UK where stone outcrops are rare. The different rock types used for the walls of the church, the churchyard wall and for gravestones, provide suitable growth sites for a wide variety of lichens. Further micro-niches occur on buttresses, areas of lead or copper run-off, windowsills, mortar, bird-perches, slates… Many churches also offer trees and worked wood, such as in the form of benches, for lichens to colonise. Species lists can contain more than a hundred species in a single churchyard.

Petersfield Area Lichen Enthusiasts

Petersfield Area Lichen Enthusiasts (PALE) has been set up by two ‘not quite beginners’ who are both members of the British Lichen Society. PALE is a self-learning group which aims to encourage local interest in lichen and actively welcomes complete beginners.

Petersfield is situated at the edge of the South Downs in the south east corner of VC12 (North Hampshire) and the north east corner of VC 11 (South Hampshire). It is very close to West Sussex (VC 13) and the west of Surrey (VC 17).

FSC Course: Identifying lichens

Event Type
Training events
Start date
End date
External link
https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/identifying-lichens-oct22/
Event Description:

This beginner lichens course will consist of a blend of field and classroom sessions to provide you with a general introduction to lichens as a group, focusing on morphology, biology, ecology and chemistry, alongside identification and recording.

Tutor: April Windle

Price: £140.00

BLS Surrey Field Meeting in memory of Frank Dobson

Event Type
Local Meetings
Start date
End date
Event Description:

As part of a month of activities to celebrate the contributions of Frank Dobson, this is a special one-day commemorative field meeting in Surrey where Frank did so much lichen recording.  Please ‘book’ by emailing Andy Cross (andymcross@gmail.com) see below.

BLS members are invited to explore lichens in and around Hampton Park with kind permission of the owner. The old trees in the open park areas and on ancient boundaries within the park are of especial interest. There will also be an opportunity to visit nearby Puttenham Common which has young woodland and a small amount of acid grassland. Permission is also being sought to look at lichens in Seale Churchyard. These sites provide a wide and interesting mosaic of habitats to explore. The meeting will be an excellent way for everyone, from expert to beginner, to celebrate Frank’s life by contributing valuable records and by learning from others.

The meeting will be based at Myrtle Court in the grounds of Hampton Park. 

The Hampton Park estate is south of the A31 Farnham-Guildford Road. If coming from Guildford on the A31, take the turning to Puttenham, if coming from Farnham, take the turning to Seale. The estate is north of Lower Puttenham Common and its entrance is on the road from The Sands to Shackleford at SU907456.

Use the postcode GU10 1JH for satellite navigation. Drive past 'The Warren' and follow signs to Myrtle Court (at SU904461). The car-park is behind the building.

Pick up can be arranged from Guildford Rail Station at 10.00. With return to the station by 16.30. Please book a lift when booking to attend the event (see bottom of page). Absolute deadline for booking of transport: 17th August.

Programme:

10.30

Begin gathering at Myrtle Court with time to meet old friends and introduce yourself to new ones.

11.00

Short talks inc. A brief introduction to the history and ecology of Hampton Park.

11.30

Split into groups to go out into the field.

There will be experienced BLS members available to lead groups who would prefer to concentrate on more common lichens.

15.00

Return to Myrtle court to talk about lichens seen, and for tea, cake, chat and a sales stall.

16.00

End of event and lifts to the station.

A sales stall will be open from 15.00 to 16.00 including an opportunity to buy Clare Dolby posters with no postage costs. If any BLS member is running talks or walks for the public later in August or later in the year, there will also be an opportunity to pick up resources. (Please email Fay Newbery at vice-president@britishlichensociety.org.uk to find out what is available and what might suit your event. Only booked resources will be brought to Hampton Park.)

To help us to judge numbers (and to supply enough cake!) please ‘book’ by letting Andy Cross (andymcross@gmail.com) know that you are intending to come. If you would like to bring a non-BLS member as a guest, please request this via Andy, as numbers may need to be limited if this proves to be a very popular event – which we hope it will!

Survey Meeting Reports

Introduction

In contrast to normal meetings, which aim to cover a wide range of habitats and sites, survey meetings are more intensive and directed towards a conservation target. The target is typically assessing the conservation importance of a single under surveyed site, thought to be of high conservation interest, but can also include surveying a rare species or a species assemblage. In addition to a Bulletin article, a full survey report is produced and these can be downloaded below. The first survey meeting was held at Moccus Park in 2018.

Exciting New Discoveries in a Welsh Rainforest

Andy Cross below a Hazel with Pyrenula dermatodes & Pyrenula hibernica

Two BLS members, Neil Sanderson and Andy Cross, carrying out a monitoring survey, funded by Welsh Natural Resources, in one of the most important Welsh temperate rainforests have made some very significant discoveries. The site was the deep and difficult to access ravine of Ceunant Llennyrch, a National Nature Reserve owned by Welsh Natural Resources and the Woodland Trust. This was already known to be an exceptional site, especially for the occurrence of temperate rainforest specialist species of smooth bark on older shrubs.

Subscribe to