Lichen biology is usually only included in basic science textbooks as an example of symbiotic associations between fungi and algae, but they are so much more than that. The study of lichens is highly rewarding, and you do not have to go very far to find them – they are all around you. Natalie Howe will tell us about some of the usual suspects of our local lichen communities, as well as some of lichens that are hidden gems here, and will introduce to some of the people who love them.
Natalie Howe has been studying lichens with high or low intensity for the past 14 years, and currently lives in Washington DC. She is a Biological Scientist at the U.S.D.A., and an adjunct teacher of Mushrooms, Molds, and Society class at George Mason University. In the pre-covid times, she was volunteering with the lichen team at Patuxent Research Refuge in MD, Rock Creek Park in DC and at Liberty State Park in NJ to document the lichens there. For her dissertation research at Rutgers University in New Jersey, she studied the ecology of lichens in the NJ Pinelands.
The suggested donation is $5. NHSM understands that the pandemic has adversely impacted many. It shouldn’t impact access to education. Therefore, a free option is also available. All funds help support the ongoing work of the Natural History Society of Maryland. Zoom meeting information will be sent when you register.
Follow this link to register: https://www.marylandnature.org/get-involved/events/event/lichens-and-the-lichenologists-who-love-them/
Please direct questions about this program to bstrong@marylandnature.org
