Online Zoom

BLS Zoom Groups

1. Lichen Chat and Improvement Groups - LCIGs

2 Lichens for Absolute Beginners - LABS (lower down this page) or see (New Page)
3. Post - LABS groups (lower down this page)
4. Microscope Groups (lower down this page) - Basics and Improvers
Also see: 5. "Learn the language", 6. Latest News, and 7. Some History (all lower down this page)

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Judith Allinson writes: (last edited on 17 November - Please see the dates of future meetings lower down which were changed. So 10,11 Dec has become 3,4 Dec and all the following dates altered accordingly).)

1. Regular LCIG groups: - open to all.

Lichen Chat and Improvement Groups (LCIG) are Zoom groups for people of all levels of lichen knowledge (but especially intermediate) to meet. There is a Tuesday evening group (7pm) and a Wednesday morning group (10am). The groups meet fortnightly in Winter and monthly in Summer. New people are welcome, whether you are a beginner or very experienced. We started in October 2020, eight months into the UK Covid Lockdown, We are now starting our fifth year. New people have been joining all the time. (See list of dates near the end)

If you are interested in joining in one of these groups, or have questions, or would like to have a private practice session learning how to use Zoom before the meeting, please contact zoom-improvement@britishlichensociety.org.uk

The sessions are run for members of the society but we very much welcome non-members in the hope that you might join someday soon.

As an example a 2 hour meeting might include:

1. Chat, or breakout groups for chat;
2. Three people give short 2-10 minute presentations, each followed by a period of 5 to 10 minutes discussion.
3. Five minute coffee break
4. Opportunity for announcements
5. People show pictures of lichens they would like to ask advice about.
6. Discussion.

Since Autumn 2022 we have replaced two of the "Three 2-10 minute presentations" by a guest speaker who will give an "introductory talk on their more specialist topic lasting 25 minutes" followed of course by questions and group participation.

The topics of some of the Past Talks are listed here

The meetings are a serendipity but it amazes me what interesting things we learn because such different people attend, including several BLS members from abroad. The computer screen is an excellent way of showing and examining details of lichens. I hope that every participant will deliver at least one presentation, (even if just a short 2 minute one about a lichen outside their back door or on their apple tree).

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Meetings in 2024:

19, 20 Nov
3, 4 Dec (Not on 10,11 as formerly stated)
17,18 Dec

Meetings in 2025
14,15 Jan 2025
28, 29 Jan
etc until Easter.

We welcome offers and suggestions for speakers for spring 2025

2. LABs groups - Lichens for Absolute Beginners

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Are you an absolute beginner as far as lichens go? Or maybe you have been on an introductory lichen course somewhere but have forgotten parts of it. (See this page on the BLS website which lists the skills people might expect to develop at beginner and intermediate levels.) Or you might be attending the general Zoom Lichen Chat and Improvement Groups (LCIG, see above) but would value some more basic practice.

LABs are are series of Lichen Zoom Sessions - tutorials - led by a volunteer member of the society - who may be an intermediate but is keen to help people learn. By working in groups of 4 to 8 people there is opportunity to share pictures, to interpret them and to practice using technical terms.

All the participants gain by meeting each other. The course maybe between 8 and 16 sessions of 1-1.5hr each. Most groups meet fortnightly but some meet weekly.

If you are interested in attending such a LABs group as well as, or instead of, the LCIG group, please email
zoom-improvement@britishlichensociety.org.uk .

More LABS groups are starting/have started this October/November 2024. These are all now full. If you would like to be put down on a waiting list for one these, please tell us. Two more groups will be starting in January, and one group next June so do contact us if you would like to apply for one of these- It is very likely these will all fill up too.

Beginners are very welcome at the regular LCIG groups.

3. Post-LABs groups

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Three of the 2020-2022 LABs groups are still running as Post-LABS groups. (called "LNABS", "ILG", "ABLE") and a fourth has morphed into a local group with field meetings "LISS" - Lichens in South-east Scotland. This is because individuals from within the LABs groups were prepared to take on the organising of their own groups.

If you have been part of a LABs group and would like to join with others to form a Post-LABs group (i.e. a group of 6 to 10 people who can share or do projects together - or whatever you want - by Zoom) please contact zoom-improvement@britishlichensociety.org.uk and we will try to co-ordinate the formation of more groups . There may also be people who would like to join such a small group but who are too advanced for a LABs group. Each group would need one or two or even three people to organise the group, so please indicate if you would be willing to help with this.

4. Microscope Groups:

Lecidella elaeochroma section (back to top of this page)

A series of beginner and improver Zoom microscopy groups ran in 2022 and 2023. The monthly improvers group has continued through 2024. See ‘Events’ for the dates of these sessions. If you would like to join us, or for more information, please contact: zoom-microscopy@britishlichensociety.org.uk

There may be a new Basics group starting soon, for beginners who already have their own microscopes (dissecting low-power and a high-power microscope) but who would like some support with cutting and interpreting sections. If you might be interested in this, please contact: zoom-microscopy@britishlichensciety.org.uk

5. Learn the Language course

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Beginners are also recommended to consider the "Learn the Language" short online course of the BLS. This can be carried out independently

or with the help of a volunteer BLS tutor by phone or by zoom.

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6. Some History of the Groups:

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This section is historical. It show how the groups started, gives credit to people who ran some of the previous LABS groups and then lists a rather random selection of some of the topics covered in the LCIG groups to give you a flavour of the meetings. We hold between 16 and 26 Pairs of meetings a year.

We started in October 2020, eight months into the Covid Lockdown (which had started in March 2020 in UK) and new people have been joining ever since. We held 26 pairs of meeting 2020-2021, 20 pairs of meetings 2021-2022 and 18 pairs of meetings 2022-Sept 2023 and it will be 18 pairs of meetings Sep 2023-Sep 2024

The names of the people who ran the LABS groups 2020- 2024 are as follows:

2020 - Autumn Dec: 1. Mark Stephens & Sue Knight 2. Graham Pyatt, 3. Pete Martin,
2021 - Spring: .4. Bob Vaughan, 5. Geoffrey Cleave, 6. Mark Stevens & Sue Knight

2021 - Autumn: Nov: 7. Mark Stephens & Sue Knight; 8. Geoffrey Cleave
2022 - Spring: 9. Pete Martin; 10: Caz Walker

2022 - Autumn: October: 11. Mark Stephens & Sue Knight; 12. Sue Thomas
2023 - Spring 13. Bob Vaughan 14. Barbara Brown

2023 Autumn: October: 15: Mark Stephens & Sue Knight (Shropshire) 16. Fred Gibson (South West UK) 17. Sue Thomas (Scotland) 18. Barbara Brown
2024 Spring: January: 19: Anthony Speca 20: Fay Newbery
2024 Summer: June: 21: Fred Gibson

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Examples of some earlier talks:

Autumn 2022:
Caz Walker: Peltigeras, part 1 and Part 2;
Rebecca Yahr: Intro (and overall view) of Cladonias
Alison Cutts: Intro to Drawing Lichens - and tips
Peter Crittenden: Nitrogen Fixation and Lichens
Heleen Plaisir: Working at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens.
Andy Cross: An introduction to historic maps to help understand lichen habitats.

Spring 2023:-
Members contributions. (incl QGIS, Usnea apothecia)
David Hill: Lichen dyes: history, science and practice
Pete Martin: Four black wine gums on trees: L.e., F.l., A.p., C.n.
Paulina Cifuentes Uribe: Lichens found in retreating glaciers
Graham Pyatt: Three coastal Caloplacas

Autumn 2023:
David Hill: "Sex" in Lichens
John Skinner: Physcia species part 1.
Caz Walker on Peltigeras - of mine spoil (and other more common ones) near Alston
Neil Sanderson: Cladonias with red apothecia.
Raymond Griffiths: Tarn Lichen - Protoparmeliopsis achariana.
Maxine Putman and John Fisher: Lichens in Sweden

Spring & Summer 2024:
Dennis Waters: Introduction to Chromatography
Maria - Jose Chesa: The genus Cetratria
Craig Postlethwaite: Paisley Natural History Society Lichen Walks
Oliver Moore:- My work (with Plantlife) as "Saving Scottish Rainforests Advisor";
Sylvia Davidson: Llimonaea sorediata + a few other lichens of north facing church walls.
Di Napier: Borrowing Specimens from the BLS Herbarium
Richard Brinklow: The BLS Herbarium
John Skinner: The genus Physcia
Bryan Edwards - Lichen Conservation George Creiff: Frullania and Fungi
Nicholas Carter:Lichens and Heritage Conservation at Blenheim Palace

Many people have given talks on "Two lichens from outside my house or my back garden"

We value the contributions of beginners.