Are you ready to take a casual interest in lichens to the next level? This special all-day workshop is intended for keen beginners who would like to advance their identification abilities.

We’ll start with a short presentation on lichen basics, with a focus on the terminology that is used in dichotomous keys. After the presentation we’ll go and collect some lichens and have lunch (included). After lunch, we’ll look at the specimens under dissecting microscopes and try some chemical tests. Bert will also demonstrate how to look at lichen spores. We will key things out as a group and individually.

Thanks to our partnership with our friends at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, we will have a dissecting microscope for each participant! We will also provide dichotomous keys, chemicals, and hand lenses.

Age: Adults

Cost: $75, which goes toward supporting programs at both Clifton and OSGF.

Maximum enrollment: 8 people

About the program leader: Bert Harris is the Executive Director of the Clifton Institute. He is an amateur lichenologist who has the goal of producing a reference to make Mid Atlantic lichen identification easier for beginners.