Join Adrienne Alms and the Northwest Mushroomers Association for a free presentation all about lichens on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm at the Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham, WA.
Although this event is hosted by NMA, you do not need to be a member of that group to attend, and this night will focus entirely on lichens :)
Presentation description:
Lichens and Us: Some stories about lichens, ethnolichenology, and my adventures doing lichen surveys this summer
Lichens are almost everywhere when you start to pay attention, and they are symbiotic organisms made up of both algae and fungi, and sometimes other things like cyanobacterias, bacterias, and yeasts. Lichens have been (and still are today in some cases) used commercially in dye, perfume, cosmetics, and scientific industries. They have been and still are used as important food sources and for medicinal and magical purposes in many different cultures all across the world. They also contain some of the most beautiful patterns, colors, and textures in nature, and unlike most mushrooms and plants, they are out all year long. Yet lichens are often overlooked or ignored by both mycologists and botanists. Join Adrienne as they share some delicious photos and stories about lichens, ethnolichenology, and their adventures doing lichen surveys in the Glacier Peak Wilderness this summer.
Event Details:
Where: The Squalicum Boathouse, 2600 N Harbor Loop Dr, Bellingham, WA 98225
When: Wednesday, December 4th
Time: 6pm - 7pm Potluck Social, 7pm - 8pm Presentation
The evening will kick off with a holiday social and potluck, so we encourage everyone to bring a dish or snack to share. This event is open to the public, so feel free to invite anyone who might be interested!
About Adrienne:
Adrienne Alms (they/them) is an amateur (for now) lichenologist and naturalist. They have been studying lichens for about four years now, first in the upper Midwest and now in the PNW. Adrienne worked with Dr. Daniel Stanton at the U of MN to prepare his lichen and bryophyte samples for accession into the Bell Museum Herbarium in 2022. Adrienne is now a member of the NW Lichenologists and did their first lichen air-quality monitoring surveys for the USDA Forest Service this past summer. They are also a member of the Licheneers of North Puget Sound and the NW Mushroomers Association, and they have led lichen walks in and around Bellingham for both groups. Adrienne attended a microlichens class with Bruce McCune this past October and has since dove into the endless world of crust lichens. Adrienne is also a rock climber and often finds interesting and unique lichens on rocks while climbing or hiking to a climbing spot. They hope to move into doing more professional lichen and botanical consulting work in the future.
