Items welcome: upcoming events, news and images! Send items to Raymond Griffiths
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On 19 November five people met up for a day looking especially at the lichen thallus, with expert guidance from David Hill who gave a wide-ranging presentation on the details that can be seen under the microscope, many of which are critical for identification, then down to examination including practical hints on dissection and slide preparation. The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday 10 December when fruiting bodies will be the focus.
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COFNOD is the North Wales centre for wildlife information, one of four Local Environmental Records Centres in Wales. On 10th February they held a conference at Llandrillo College where a number of organisations presented the results of nature conservation and habitat restoration projects. Raymond Griffiths and Eluned Smith attended, to raise awareness of the BLS, to sell books and posters and to make contacts among the wildlife community in Wales.
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The day started at Myrtle’s Courtyard, where we were greeted by the owner and given a short history of the estate. Following an explanation of the ecology of the area, groups, led by experienced lichenologists, explored the park to identify and record the lichens in the varied habitats to be found there.
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Visitors to the RHS Hilltop – The home of Gardening Science – were introduced to the wonderful world of lichen during a talk and walk on the 3rd August.
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On Sunday 17 July, PALE (Petersfield Area Lichen Enthusiasts) took part in Petersfield’s first ever Eco-fair.
The fair was well supported by a wide range of local organisations across four principal categories – Low Waste Living, Nature, Home Energy and Green Travel.
Despite the temperature reaching in the order of 30 degrees, it was most encouraging that there was a steady and interested flow of visitors throughout the six hours of the Eco-fair.
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Along the north coast of Devon between Combe Martin and Countisbury a series of hog’s back hills falls away dramatically to vertical cliffs above the Bristol Channel. Here outcrops of Hangman Grits with north-facing underhangs are home to distinct and interesting communities of lichens which were recorded thoroughly almost 30 years ago.
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Anyone in the vicinity of the East Quay arts and science centre at Watchet in Somerset, is welcome to see an exhibition about lichens and air quality, on until the end of August 2022.
This new exhibition, addressing the climate emergency, marks the start of East Quay’s long-term commitment to programming that explores a more positive, climate-conscious future. Put together by Kathy Hinde, Amy Howden-Chapman and Liv Torc, it includes films about lichens and a lichen display. There is a screen connected to an active air quality monitor on the building.
Local lichenologist and BLS rep, Pat Wolseley, will be in conversation with Kathy Hinde on Thursday 21 July 2022 from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets cost £18. The talk will make people more aware of lichens and the stories they can tell us.
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The British Lichen Society is planning a month of activities in August 2022 to commemorate Frank Dobson, author of “Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the British and Irish Species”, who passed away in December 2021.
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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.
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Our website has had an upgrade! Thanks very much to the website committee for all their work on this - and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) for hosting us.
We have hopefully improved the look and feel of the website, particularly on mobile. Do let us know if there is anything that does not work - tell Chris on webmaster@britishlichensociety.org.uk with a screenshot if necessary.
Most of the website pages should work exactly the same as before. Some have got a slightly different interface, such as the species accounts and maps entry point where you need to search for a species rather than select from a huge dropdown.