Ask a Lichenologist

Learn about lichens with the California Lichen Society (CALS)! Periodically, members of CALS will get together and try to identify as many contributions to this project as they can, so if you have a lichen observation that you'd like identified, please add it!

Lichens are composites of a fungus and some organism that can perform photosynthesis, like an algae or a cyanobacterium. The fungus derives some nutrients from the photosynthesis of its partner, sort of like a farmer and her crops. Lichens exhibit a wondrous diversity of shapes, colors, and lifestyles, and they produce a fascinating array of chemicals to survive in astoundingly varied habitats, from polar rocks to mountain tops to skyscrapers.

Lichens are easy to find and fun to photograph, but they can be challenging to identify. That's where CALS comes in! Our mission is to promote the appreciation, conservation, and study of lichens, so we've started this project to help you learn more about these fascinating creatures. In addition to providing IDs, we may also use this project to let you know about lichen-related events like classes and field trips, so stay tuned! menos ↑