Lichens of New York City's Journal

There are a lot of interesting lichen events coming up. Now that so many events are hosted online, you have an opportunity to participate from anywhere in the world.

EcoQuest Challenge: Locate Lichens

New York City EcoFlora
January 1–31
Free

EcoQuests, part of the NYC EcoFlora Project, challenge New Yorkers to become citizen scientists and observe, study and help conserve the native plants and animals of the City, using iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile App. Photograph as many Lichens in New York City as possible by January 31!

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/locate-lichen

NYC Lichens an Urban Experience

Dr. James Lendemer
Monday, January 11, 5:00–6:30 p.m. EST
Free

Lichens are fungi that abound in the world around us and have essential roles in the diverse biological communities in which they reside. But these fungi are highly sensitive to pollution and change. Garden scientist Dr. James Lendemer is leading efforts to document the diversity of lichens in eastern North America and collaborating with Dr. Jessica Allen and NYBG graduate student Jordan Hoffman to produce a field guide to their identification in cities of the Northeast. Dr. Lendemer’s Talk will tell the story of lichens in New York City, including widespread loss during industrialization and a resounding post-1970’s comeback.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b5BNRBXovdowN9r0CPmSSifsZIC3ldGC/view

Lichens, Biofilms, and Marble Monuments

Judy Jacob
Friday, February 5, 7:00 p.m.
$20 membership

Eroded marble surfaces teem with robust communities of algae, bacteria, and fungi. These communities are viewed variously as aesthetic disfigurements or enhancements. This presentation provides an overview of the surface ecology of marble and relationships between marble, lichens, biofilms, and weathering; it also will address the question of whether these communities contribute to the deterioration of marble or serve to protect it.

http://newyorkmyc.org/online-lectures-and-presentations-for-spring-summer-2020/

Lichens Identification: Virtual Workshop

Dr. Hannah Prather
Tuesday, February 23, 4:00–5:30 p.m. EST
$10–$20 sliding scale

Lichens are a fascinating and essential part of Pacific Northwest ecosystems. In this workshop, we will dive into the exciting world of lichens with biologist Dr. Hannah Prather. This workshop will cover the basics of what lichens are, the important functions they offer in an environment, and will introduce the beginnings of lichen identification.

https://www.hoytarboretum.org/events/lichens-identification-virtual-workshop/

Do you know of other upcoming virtual lichen events? Share them in the comments! 💚

I’ll be leading an urban lichen walk tomorrow, Saturday, May 25, in Central Park with the New York Mycological Society. Join us to meet and appreciate the local lichen flora. We’ll identify lichens together and view different lichen structures in the field. This event is free and open to the public.

Meet at 11:00 a.m. at the 81st Street & Central Park West entrance, across from the Museum of Natural History. To get there, take the A/C trains to the 81st Street–Museum of Natural History station, but check the MTA Service Advisory! Bring lunch and drink.

—Nova

Urban Lichens of New York City
2019 Emil Lang Lectures Series
New York Mycological Society

When:
Monday, May 20
6:00 – 8:00 pm

Where:
Arsenal, Central Park
830 5th Ave., Room 318
New York, NY 10065
Entrance at 5th Ave. and 64th St.
Take the elevator to the 3rd floor.

This lecture is free and open to the public!

Ultra-urban areas, industrial waterfronts, and populated tourist attractions are some of the unique habitats for enterprising New York City lichens. Resulting from modern improvements in air quality, alliances of fungi and algae are actively reclaiming urban spaces and increasing biodiversity. Hours of mycological observation can be enjoyed by visiting your closest street tree or concrete surface without setting foot in a park or garden. We’ll review the basics of lichen structure and identification, meet the most common urban lichens of our region, and explore urban lichen ecology.

http://newyorkmyc.org/emil-lang-lecture-series-for-2019/
https://www.facebook.com/events/593734287780385/

Nova Patch is an amateur lichenologist focusing on the urban lichens of New York City, cemetery ecology, and nature education. They are a Brooklyn-based member of the New York Mycological Society, hold a botany certificate from the New York Botanical Garden, and volunteer as an endangered plant monitor along the Appalachian Trail.