What's Happening

Third International Workshop on Biological Soil Crusts

September 26-30, 2016 - Moab, Utah, USA 

The Third International Workshop on Biological Soil Crusts (BIOCRUST 3) will bring together international scientists working in disciplines such as physiology; taxonomy and systematics; genetics and genomics; restoration; and population, community, ecosystem and landscape ecology. Within BIOCRUST 3, these different fields are unified by their common interest in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, as a study system. Biocrusts are like a living skin of the Earth, composed of many distinct organisms regulating ecosystem processes in modern ecosystems, and serving as a modern analog for some of the earliest ecological communities on land.

For more information:

http://nau.edu/merriam-powell/biocrust3/

 

Stephen Sharnoff and Andy Kerr are starting a campaign to create a National Monument dedicated to the iconic Douglas-fir tree in the central Oregon Cascades. Similar in concept to Redwood National Park, this monument would honor the Douglas fir and the ecosystem associated with it. The area for this monument is federal land in the Cascades from Opal Creek in the north to south of the Menagerie Wilderness in the south. The campaign now has a website:  http://www.douglasfirnationalmonument.org/

Steve will be in Portland Jan 10-12 to meet with people/groups, and in Eugene for a talk on Mar. 1 and then to attend the PIELC Mar. 3-6. He then will be in Corvallis for several talks, including one on Apr. 21, another on Apr. 26. If you are interested I encourage you to meet up with Steve (lichen@idiom.com) at any of these times to learn more. 

Announcing Eagle Hill Institute seminars on lichenology in 2017
On the coast of Eastern Maine, just east of Acadia National Park

May 21-27 ... Crustose Lichens of the Acadian Forest ... Stephen Clayden

Jun 4-10 ... Undergraduate Field Studies: Introduction to Bryophytes and Lichens ... Fred Olday
Jul 2-8 ... Lichens and Lichen Ecology ... David Richardson and Mark Seaward

Jul 23-19 ... Lichens, Biofilms, and Stone ... Judy Jacob and Michaela Schmull

Aug 6-12 ... Independent Studies: Interesting and Challenging Saxicolous Lichens of North America ... Alan Fryday

The following general flyer has links to individual lichen seminar flyers ... https://madmimi.com/p/d8c219?fe=1&pact=172217-135615528-7501261478-65168e2c176d0f9cc0d25d34eb92acbf7db1ae05

For general information … https://www.eaglehill.us/programs/nhs/nhs-calendar.shtml
office@eaglehill.us

Hi all-

The 2016 SO BE FREE has just been announced.  I posted the flyer on the NWL Facebook page.  We are hoping for a great turnout -- this is the first year it is being organized through the newly created Bryophyte Chapter of the CNPS.  It does not overlap this time with the NWL annual spring meeting!

Daphne Stone is presenting a free Introduction to Lichens at the Straub Environmental Learning Center, 1320 A Street, Salem on 31 October from 9-4ish.

We will discuss lichen terminology, then head to a nearby park to look at lichens in their environment.

Foliose Physciaceae with Dr. Theodore Esslinger

Location: Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, Oregon

Date: April 1-3, 2016

Cost: $200

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Theodore Esslinger from North Dakota to provide us with insight into a diverse and important group of lichens, Physciaceae. The workshop will focus on identification of temperate and northern species in the most frequently encountered foliose genera of the Physciaceae, especially Phaeophyscia, Physcia, Physciella, and Physconia as well as rarer genera such as Anaptychia and Heterodermia.  The first day participants will make observations of Physciaceae in nearby Lava Beds N. M. and then spend the rest of the time working with materials in lab, with most lecturing being informal and occurring while working on the collections.  Among other activities, we will practice the appropriate use of reagent spot tests on the thallus and methods for making hand sections to study the various tissue types of the physcioid thallus.  In addition to material we are able to collect on our field trips students are strongly encouraged to bring specimens with them, especially any problem materials they would like help with.  

Space is limited; if you are interested in attending please contact John Villella, johnvillella@yahoo.com.

If you would like to discuss changes to the status of particular lichen species on the Oregon Rare, Threatened and Endangered list, as sponsored by ORBIC, you are welcome to join us from 2:30-5 pm on Friday, October 9, and the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Note that this immediately precedes the NWL certification (see the Certification tab and Events). BUT you need not be registered for the certification or training to participate in the discussion. If, however, you plan to spend the night at the Andrews forest and are not registered, please let Daphne Stone know (daphstone at gmail).

If you do plan to participate in the discussion, please bring your data and your ideas.

For those who attended the field trips near Pasco, Washington, here are my locality data. Corrections are welcome.

April 3:

Gentle slope with old Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata

suburban fringe between the end of Evanslee Court and I-182,

Richland

Elevation: 205 m       46.24785^o N 119.33042^oW  Datum: WGS84

USA:  WASHINGTON:  BENTON COUNTY

April 4:

Lower slope with Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and basalt outcrops and erratics, Saddle Mountain, ca. 20 km W of Othello

Elevation: ca. 225 m     46.8077^o N 119.4026^oW  Datum: WGS84

USA:  WASHINGTON:  GRANT COUNTY

grassy, rocky ridge with basalt outcrops

Saddle Mountain, ca. 20 km W of Othello

Elevation: ca. 352 m     46.8032^o N 119.4010^oW  Datum: WGS84

USA:  WASHINGTON:  GRANT COUNTY

Lichens are a vital yet overlooked part of the ecology in our urban areas. 

Dr. Katherine Glew will introduce lichens, explain what they are and how they grow.  She will also address common lichens found in Seattle and provide a list. You will find out what their presence in the city tells us about your plants and air quality. Bring your hand lens if you have one, since there will be plenty of lichens to find. We will spend part of the day in Washington Park Arboretum, University of Washington Botanical Garden. To Study lichens in more detail, we will have an opportunity to use microscopes to see their fascinating details.

Katherine Glew has researched lichens in Norway, the Russian Far East, and throughout Washington State.  

Date: Saturday, June 20

Time: 9:00am - 4pm

Location: Washington Park Arboretum and Hitchcock Hall, University of Washington campus.

Tuition:  $95

http://ncascades.org/signup/programs/urban-lichens

Dr. Katherine Glew will lead a lichen tour in the Cedar River Watershed, east of Seattle to introduce the fascinating lichens of the forest. If you have wondered about what a lichen is and why they are in the forest, this will be a great opportunity to view the lichen diversity in the watershed and learn the names of our most common species. There will be a short classroom session, followed by visits in the watershed, identifying and studying specimens collected from various forest habitats.

Date: Sunday, June 14

Time: 10am to 3pm

Bring: a and lens and a few paper bags for collecting

Cost:  $20