Lichens are symbiotic organisms–fungi living with photosynthesizing partners–that are all around us. Lichens are beautiful, and they also play critical roles in ecosystems. As small organisms that are sensitive to fine-scale environmental conditions, lichens can be used as powerful ecological indicators. Once you begin to pay attention to lichens you can hear the stories they’re telling about the world around us.

This two-day workshop will focus on developing skills for identifying common Pacific Northwest macrolichens (foliose and fruticose lichens). We will focus on characteristics for field identification as well as characteristics seen through dissecting microscopes in the lab. We will also discuss the use of chemical “spot tests”, an essential tool for distinguishing similar lichen species, though we are not allowed to actually use chemicals in our lab space at UW. We will meet from 9 am to 4:30 pm on October 4 and 5.

Students will learn to recognize and distinguish between pollution-tolerant lichen communities that we often see in cities and the more pristine communities that occur in places with high air quality. After taking this course you will be sure to observe lichens, big or small, almost everywhere you go!