Northwest Lichenologists

What's Happening

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  • 17 Jan 2019 1:05 PM | Anonymous member

    Daphne Stone will lead her annual Lichen Walk at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum near Eugene on 16 February 2019 from 10-12, rain or shine. Free to members, small charge for non-members.

  • 01 Jan 2019 1:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    01 Jan 2019 8:53 AM | Bruce McCune (Administrator)

    The NW Lichenologists calendar for next year is now available.

     

    The coming year's calendar highlights the spectacular photography of Jason Hollinger with entertaining and informative captions by Jason and Nastassja Noell. Plus they provide short bios for five historical figures important in the development of lichenology in western North America.


    This 11 x 8.5 inch wall calendar, opening to 11 x 17 inches, has one month per page and a photo of a charismatic lichen on the facing page. This is a limited edition, first come, first serve. A list of lichens included is given on the NWL website's calendar page.


  • 17 Nov 2018 7:20 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    We have a new offering from NW Lichenologists, a handy, compact guide to Usnea in our region.

    See below for a general description and the Store section of the NWL website for more details. Note also that we have a limited time discount if you order the 2019 calendar and the booklet together.

    Enjoy!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    Usnea in the Pacific Northwest,  Aide Mémoire

    by Daphne Fisher Stone, illustrated by Hannah Wilson and Rachel Werling

    ISBN: 978-0-9790737-3-1 (pbk.)

    Cost: $12 per copy + $3 for domestic shipping and handling for 1-10 copies. (For example, 3 copies would be 3 * $12 + $3 = $39. One copy is $15 including shipping.


    Inspired by an "Aide Mémoire" booklet produced by the British Lichen Society, this booklet provides a compact reference to Usnea in the Pacific Northwest with black and white line drawings, identification tips, and more. It should be useful to professionals and beginners alike. At the top of each page is a general statement about where the species is found in the Pacific Northwest. Each page shows several sketches. At the top left is an “icon” intended to show the general growth form. The icons used are tufted and bushy; pendulous without fibrils; pendulous with fibrils; and several with a special form or coloration, including Usnea lambii, U. longissima, and U. silesiaca. On the top right is an illustration of a large branch, cut in half lengthwise and also cut across the branch. This shows the relative thickness of the cortex (C), medulla (M), and axis (A), a useful tool for identification. Below the first two sketches are one or two sketches showing characters on main and secondary branches. A few words indicate characters that are typical of the species, such as soralia shape, isidia, papillae, and dents in the main branches. You may notice that on most species I do not describe branching patterns. This is because most Usnea thalli that are collected are not perfect, mature thalli, so branching patterns are not usually obvious. The bottom of each page lists similar species and some differences between them and the highlighted species. At the end of the booklet is an illustrated glossary.


  • 27 Oct 2018 10:00 AM | Anonymous member

    Cemetery Lichens - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Seattle


    ​Why not consider lichens as an alternative for Hallowe'en?  Lichens are friendly and interesting organisms that love to grow on headstones and old trees. They are harmless to your plants and add aesthetic value to trees and shrubs.  We can actually use them as indicators of air pollution!

    Katherine Glew is offering a 2 hour lichen experience at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle, on Saturday, October 27 from 10:00am to noon. This offering will occur - rain, shine, wind, snow.........

    To sign up for the course and read a description, go to the following link:

    https://www.uwbotanicgardenscatalog.org/Cemetery-Lichens-P1711.aspx

    Bring a hand lens to view lichen details


    Cost: $30 per lichen enthusiast
  • 09 Oct 2018 7:10 PM | Anonymous member

    The Central Puget Sound Chapter of the WA Native Plant Society, east side, will host a presentation on lichens by Dr. Katherine Glew from the University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum of Natural History.


    Dr. Glew will introduce lichens through photos and field material. The importance of lichens in the forest and all environments will be discussed. Lichens are part of most ecosystems and contribute nutrients from which other plants can benefit.


    Fun lichen facts will be shared, such as using them for creating the dyes in Scottish kilts and the making of lichen schnapps in Iceland. Did you know that lichens can be used as indicators of air pollution? They also have medicinal properties that have been use over centuries. Join me in discovering these fascinating fungi that form partnerships with green algae and cyanobacteria.


  • 19 Sep 2018 8:34 AM | Anonymous member

    Forest Service jobs for 2019 are now being advertised. You will only have until October 12, 2018 to apply for next spring/summer jobs! I recommend you apply now even if you aren't sure what you'll be doing next year because this will be the only opportunity to apply for Forest Service seasonal work. http://www.usajobs.gov/ You'll want to search for Biological Science Technician Plants or Biological Science Technician Natural Resources (for GS-5). If you are interested in lichen focused work be sure to apply for positions in John Day Oregon (Malheur NF). The job won't require residence in John Day and the work takes place all around OR and WA.

  • 19 Jul 2018 10:18 AM | Deleted user

    LICHEN REVIVAL IV:
    LICHEN ECOLOGY IN TIME OF ENLICHENMENT

    A three-day workshop with Darwyn Coxson, Yngvar Gauslaa and Toby Spribille

    THURSDAY EVENING 30 AUGUST – SUNDAY AFTERNOON 2 SEPTEMBER 2018

    Sponsors: Thompson Rivers University, the Wells Gray Wilderness Society, Edgewood Wild

    photo of Bryoria tortuosa

    Bryoria tortuosa: is it or isn’t it? Photo by Tim Wheeler.

    Overview: Please join Darwyn Coxson, Yngvar Gauslaa and Toby Spribille in BC’s beautiful Upper Clearwater Valley for some enlichened walks in the woods with three leading researchers whose work is revolutionizing our understanding of lichen morphology, lichen response to ecological signal, and the lichen symbiosis itself. 

    Scope: Set against the wilds of Wells Gray Provincial Park, this workshop will bring you up to date on some of the new findings and insights of lichen ecology, with emphasis on their field application. Our discussions will be wide-ranging, and partly determined by the participants; but likely we’ll focus on the ecological behaviour of genera like AlectoriaBryoriaLethariaLobariaRamalina and Usnea

    photo of Lobaria pulmonaria

    Lobaria pulmonaria: life in the dripzone. Photo by Jason Hollinger.

    Events: The workshop will include daily field outings, evening lectures, and group discussion around the campfire and/or in break-out groups. Please bring along your questions for Yngvar, Toby and Darwyn.

    Participants: Capped at 20 people, this workshop is ideal for amateur and professional lichen enthusiasts with a good working knowledge of the common lichen genera. 

    When: Lichen Revival IV will begin Thursday evening (30 August) at 6:30 PM with a mixer, group welcome, and lecture by Toby Spribille. It will run through Friday and Saturday, ending early Sunday afternoon. This should give participants plenty of time to make it home on Tuesday for school or work.

    photo of Tholurna dissimilis

    Tholurna dissimilis: essence of lime. Photo by Tim Wheeler.

    Where: The workshop will be held in the Clearwater Valley near the southern portal of Wells Gray Provincial Park – a vast protected area six-hours northeast of Vancouver and two hours north of Kamloops: Wells Gray Unlimited! / Wells Gray World Heritage.

    Venue: Indoor portions of the workshop will take place in a rustic one-room school house located about 20 minutes north of the village of Clearwater. For much of the time, however, we’ll be out tramping about in contrasting habitats within easy reach.

    Note: All proceeds from this event will go to the Wells Gray Wilderness Society, dedicated to educating young people concerning the wilderness and other values of the Clearwater Valley.

    photo of Letharia vulpina

    Letharia vulpina: wet and dry, wet and dry. Photo by Tim Wheeler.

    Cost: $150 CND / $125 US. Cost covers rental of the Wilderness Centre, the Thursday evening mixer, and a group dinner on Saturday evening.

    Accommodation:$30 CAN / $25 US for shared accommodation in field station cabins at Thompson Rivers University Wells Gray Wilderness Centre, with rustic kitchen facilities available. Excepting a catered group dinner on Saturday evening, participants bring and prepare their own food. For B&B or other accommodations nearby, please see Wells Gray Park Information and Wells Gray Country. Tent and vehicle camping is available off site at no cost.

    Registration: Please contact Lyn Baldwin at lybaldwin@tru.ca. Note that the Wilderness Society can accept cheques (made out to the Wells Gray Wilderness Society Centre) or e-transfers from Canadian bank accounts sent to lybaldwin@tru.ca.

    Deadline for registration: 5 August 2018. Space is limited, so please register early.

    Workshop Leaders:

    photo of Toby SpribilleToby Spribille is a lichen evolutionary biologist who has worked in boreal and mountain forests across the Northern Hemisphere. His work focuses on the components necessary to make symbiosis work. He is currently based out of the University of Alberta. His evening lecture is titled Definitely not IKEA: Lichen assembly and the search for the missing instructions.

    photo of Yngvar GauslaaYngvar Gauslaa is professor in botanical ecology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. His ecological and ecophysiological studies have contributed new insights into lichen distribution, growth and acclimation to environmental factors like light, rain, dew, humid air, as well as into biotic factors including logging, air pollution and grazing. This is his fifth visit to the Upper Clearwater Valley. His talk is titled: Lichens: Key to understanding local and large-scale variations in humidity.

    photo of Darwyn CoxsonDarwyn Coxson is Professor of Plant Ecology at the University of Northern British Columbia. His research has focused on the role of lichen communities, and lichen associations such as biological soil crusts, in ecosystem function, measuring parameters such as carbon gain and nitrogen fixation. Dr. Coxson was a co-author of the 2011 UBC Press book “British Columbia’s Inland Rainforest: Ecology, Conservation, and Management”. The work of his research group in the Inland Temperate Rainforest was one of the major factors in the 2016 designation of the new Ancient Forest – Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park, protecting important Ancient Cedar stands and adjacent wetlands in the Robson Valley. His evening lecture is titled: Living life on the edge: How lichens thrive in harsh environments.

    More Information: Participants registered by 5 August will be sent an events schedule, details on accommodations, and recommendations for weather, footwear and clothing. Suggested readings will also be provided.

     

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  • 15 Jul 2018 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    This is a rare event: the Symbiosis meeting in Corvallis! Take advantage of this opportunity to hear what is happening on the forefront of research on symbioses, including lichens. Note that two distinguished scientists with lichenological pedigrees are plenary speakers: Betsy Arnold and Toby Spribille.


    July 15-20, 2018


    The ISS Congress is the sanctioned meeting of the International Symbiosis Society and is held every three years. It is the primary international meeting focusing on symbioses, including complex interactions between hosts and their microbiomes. The Congress is anticipated to bring together 400 symbiosis scientists from up to 20 nations to present the latest research in symbioses, their ubiquity in nature and their impact on all environments on the planet.


    Please visit the ISS Congress 2018 website for more information on the meeting.

    Follow ISS Congress 2018 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

    Abstract submission: January 1 – March 1. 2018

    Registration begins: February 15, 2018

    The Congress will be organized around a series of cross-cutting themes:

    • Susceptibility and resilience of symbioses in the Anthropocene
    • Ecology of symbioses
    • Mechanisms of host-microbiome interactions
    • The host-microbe interface: signaling, recognition and regulation
    • Tinkering with symbiosis: experimental insights into host-symbiont systems
    • Rise and fall of symbiosis: evolutionary transitions
    • New tools and approaches for studying symbiosis

    Keynote speaker: Ed Yong, science writer and author of the book on symbiosis: I Contain Multitudes

    Plenary speakers

    • Betsy Arnold, U. of Arizona, USA
    • Ruth Gates, University of Hawaii, USA
    • Margaret McFall-Ngai, University of Hawaii, USA
    • Joel Sachs, University of California at Riverside, USA
    • Toby Spribille, University of Alberta, Canada
    • Liping Zhao, Rutgers University, USA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

    Some travel awards will be available to students

    Consider submitting your work to Symbiosis, the journal of the ISS.

    Watch the website and follow social media for updates.


  • 23 Jun 2018 4:00 PM | Anonymous member

    LICHENS of DECEPTION PASS STATE PARK, Washington

    4:00 to 6:00pm


    Dr. Katherine Glew will lead a lichen tour at Deception Pass State Park on June 23. Included will be a short presentation to introduce the fascinating lichens of the forest and Goose Rock. 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 state park and learn the names of our most common species. There will be a short classroom session, followed by a walk outside, identifying lichens collected from various forest and grassy bald microhabitats.


    If looking at the calendar, click on the word 'MORE", highlighted in orange, in the square for June 23. The lichen event show up there.


    Direct link:

    http://www.deceptionpassfoundation.org/events/june-lecture-series-mysterious-fungi-found-in-deception-pass-state-park/


    Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/events/239422876614959/


    Map of area:

    http://www.deceptionpassfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/ParkMapWeb.pdf

  • 27 May 2018 9:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Announcing five Eagle Hill Institute lichenology programs in 2018
    Eagle Hill lies right on the coast of Eastern Maine, between Acadia National Park and Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge.

    May 27 – Jun 2 … Introduction to Bryophytes and Lichens … Fred Olday
    Jun 3 - 9 … Sterile Crustose Lichens Unveiled … James Lendemer
    Jun 24 - 30 … Lichens and Lichen Ecology … David Richardson and Mark Seaward
    Aug 26 – Sep 1 … Independent Study: Pyrenolichens … Richard Harris
    Oct 26 - 28 … Crustose and Foliose Lichens … Fred Olday

    The following general flyer has links to individual lichenology program flyers.

    https://madmimi.com/p/824fbb?fe=1&pact=429973-144174433-7501261478-20090a01de8023c1c2cadde1ccf225b5e24b7b28

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

    office@eaglehill.us … 207-546-2821 Ext 4



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