Everyone with an interest in lichens is welcome, whether it be to come along to the exhibits and posters, the British Lichen Society Annual General Meeting, the afternoon of talks or the excursion.
Bookings have closed for in-person and online attendance.
Online option
An online option for this meeting has been arranged using Microsoft Teams. To book for access to the meeting online, please email vice-president@britishlichensociety.org.uk. Deadline for online bookings: 20th February (one week later than bookings to attend in person).
Venue
The Science Buildings, 20A Inverleith Row, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 5LR.
Inverleith Row (B901) is served by frequent Lothian buses nos. 8, 23 and 27 from the city centre. Note that the stop for the Science buildings on Inverleith Row is one bus stop after (coming from town) the East Gate public entrance to the garden. Lots of taxi drivers will take people to the wrong place, so please do not arrive at the main visitor entrance to the garden (The John Hope Gateway and West Gate) on Arboretum Place, as it is on the other side of the garden. On weekends, there is limited, but free, parking on surrounding streets, so public transport is recommended. Entrance will be through the Science Buildings at 20A Inverleith Row EH3 5LR; please go down a short lane through the black gates to Main Reception. Please do not arrive through the public entrance at the East Gate or at West Gate.
BOOKINGS for all, or any, parts of the programme can be made at https://my.britishlichensociety.org.uk/item.php?eventid=1026. Members will be asked to log in but non-members are equally welcome and can book at the same link by activating a guest login. Catering and excursion transport will only be arranged for those who have booked in advance (and paid for in advance in the case of meals!). Anyone encountering problems with the booking system, please contact membership@britishlichensociety.org.uk who will be able to help.
Deadline for bookings: 13th February 2023. The meeting is free apart from the dinner and lunch.
Exhibitions
Exhibits can be put up in the Conference Room from 15.00 on Friday and should be ready for viewing by 17.30. They can be viewed during tea breaks until the close of the meeting on Saturday. Please advise Fay Newbery by e-mail (vice-president@britishlichensociety.org.uk) of your requirements for tables or display stands before Monday 20 February as these have to be ordered in advance and arrange with her if you need access by car when bringing any bulky or heavy items.
Programme
Friday 3 March:
- 17.30 – Reception (wine and soft drinks) and Exhibition, with poster presentations (RBGE Conference Room).
- 18.30 – Swinscow Lecture given by Jessica Allen, Eastern Washington University and IUCN Lichen Specialist Group Co-Chair. "The Lichen Genome Revolution: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation."
- A BUFFET STYLE DINNER has been arranged at Heriot’s Rugby Club, Inverleith Row, EH3 5QN following the lecture. The venue is within very easy walking distance of RGBE. The buffet style meal should give everyone ample opportunity to circulate and catch up with friends old and new. Cost: £20. Bookings via MySociety at the above link.
Saturday 4 March:
- 9.30 – Refreshments (coffee and tea) and poster exhibition (Conference Room).
- 10.00 – Annual General Meeting (Lecture Theatre) The agenda was published in the Winter edition of the Bulletin (number 131), pages 134-135.
- 12.30 – Lunch Break and Exhibitions (Conference Room).
- A SUBSUDISED BUFFET LUNCH is bookable in advance for a £5 contribution via the MySociety link above. Restaurants and cafes are also available within a few minutes walking distance, situated within the gardens and around Inverleith Row.
- 14.00 Talks (Lecture Theatre). Introduction – Neil Sanderson, President of the Society
- 14.05 Data collection for lichen Red Listing in Switzerland. Gesa von Hirschheydt, WSL, Switzerland
- 14.35 National Red Listing in Spain. Violeta Atienza, University of València, Spain.
- 15.05 Assessing... Updating... Uploading... The Colombian Red List of lichens. Diego Simijaca, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, México.
- 15.35 Tea Break
- 15.50 How do those partners interact? Symbiosis in Xanthoria. Klara Scharnagl, Jepson Herbarium, Berkeley, USA.
- 16.10 Revisiting lichens of the rocky intertidal: a new angle on Lichina pygmaea, Nathan Chrismas, Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK.
- 16.30 What can BLS records tell us? The case of Illosporiopsis christiansenii. Ann Claypole.
- 16.45 Confessions of a Lichenographer. Claire Dalby, Royal Watercolour Society.
- 17.05 Awards/Arrangements for Sundays’ Outing
Excursion
Sunday 5 March
- On Sunday 5th March the AGM excursion will be to Bowhill Estate near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. Woods along the Yarrow Water have been extant since the earliest maps, and the rivers on the estate are part of a larger SSSI recognizing the value of the intact riverine system and tributaries of the Tweed.
- Meet at Bowhill House, Selkirk, Scottish Borders TD7 5ET from 10.00 - map. There is no public transport to the site. Arrangements to share cars from RGBE and/or to book multi-seat taxis or self-hire vehicles will be finalised after booking is complete. We expect the meeting to finish about 4pm. Luggage can be accommodated in vehicles for the day. Attendees can be dropped at Edinburgh Rail Station by 5.00 pm or at RGBE slightly later.
Nominations for Officers and Trustees of the Society
The BLS would like to thank John Skinner, Heleen Plaisier, and Ester Gaya for their service to the Society; they will be stepping down at the upcoming AGM.
Nominations are therefore sought for Trustees. Proposals should be sent by e-mail or in writing to the Secretary, email secretary@britishlichensociety.org.uk, at least two weeks before the AGM. No person may be nominated without their consent.