The final presentation of our AGM, concludes with David Hill talking about “The life of lichen lobes”, talking about lobe development in lichens as an important mechanism for lichen growth, taking lichens from 2-D TO 3-D. #lichens

James Paton shares with us the lichen in his local area of Edinburgh, titled “The Street Where I Live”. Targeting unrecorded squares in the city and generating records! This highlights how you can contribute significantly to lichenology, whilst staying close to home!!! #lichens

We now have Les Knight talking to us about the Lichens on drystone walls in Swaledale, discussing his observations on species diversity and distribution. Les has studied the rock in this valley for a long time and is great to hear about his studies! #lichens

Our next presentation is by Susan-Mary Benbow, talking about Stella Lavinia Thrower. Giving fascinating history of Stella’s work on the Isle of Mann, Australia and Hong Kong. An incredible woman, with vast experience as an optician, lichenologist and botanists. #lichens

A handful of the wonderful stalls we have in the AGM foyer. From lichen sculptures, research projects, books for sale, student projects, photography and much much more. There is so much talent across the Society and we celebrate this every year at our AGM. #lichens

We now have our President and organiser of the Shropshire Lichen Group, Mary Steer, talking about the importance of local lichen groups in generating churchyard records. Shropshire has 72 churches and cemeteries! Plenty to keep the group busy! #lichens

Next up, we have Janet Simkin, who manages the BLS database discussing “Churchyards - what do the lichen records tell us?” Churchyards have such a great variety of habitats and that is reflected in the lichens present. #lichens

Unfortunately, Harriet Carty cannot be here with us today for our AGM, but we have a fantastic pre-recorded presentation, from Caring for Gods Acre, talking about the importance of churchyards for wildlife and #lichens @caringforgodsacre.bsky.social

The Ursula Duncan award is one of the highest awards that the BLS can give to an individual. Judith has been presented the 2025 UD award, thanks to her dedication to the Lichen Chat & Improvement Group, with 218 zoom sessions delivered from 2020 - 2025. @judithallinson.bsky.social

A great turn out for our AGM this morning, discussing and voting on important BLS Matters. Our new President, Mary Steer is now in post and we thank our former President, Fay Newbury for all of her efforts the last two years!! #lichens

A fantastic finish to our first day of our AGM, with a dinner at the Crown and Mitre Hotel. The evening consisted by an inspiring talk by Dr. Nicholas Carter from Oxford University with an opportunity for our members to network and catch up!!! #lichens @neacarter.bsky.social

What an honour to have Dr Nicholas Carter from the University of Oxford talking about “Our Living Stone - Lichens at Blenheim Palace”, sharing research on lichens as a bioprotective layer on rock #lichens @neacarter.bsky.social

The British Lichen Society’s AGM 2026 is in full swing. After a day of productive meetings, we are now so lucky to have our keynote speaker, Dr. Nicholas Carter to share with us his work on the lichens of Blenheim Palace. Great turn out for this fascinating talk. #lichens @neacarter.bsky.social

We have joined with local community groups and other national wildlife organisations to protect one of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes. Concerns surround the threat posed by proposals for the Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro Scheme - one of four existing or proposed such schemes for Loch Ness. #lichens

“Lichens of Britain & Ireland” by Rebecca Yahr and Frances Stoakley is finally available for purchase. This has been a much needed ID guide for beginners to intermediates and the publication is finally here!! www.bloomsbury.com/uk/lichens-o... #bloomsbury #lichens

The British Lichen Society photo competition is open to all. The themes this year are ‘Under the microscope’ and ‘The bigger picture’. Find the full details at the bottom of our AGM Weekend page. Judging will take place by popular vote during this event. britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/...

Booking is now open for the British #Lichen Society AGM weekend in Carlisle 30th Jan - 1st Feb 2026. britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/... Even if you're not a member, why not come along to meet us, to hear talks about lichens, and to take part in our Sunday field trip at Carlisle Cemetery.

First meeting for the Pembrokeshire #Lichen Group was held on the 23rd November with an incredible attendance of 35 people at Scolton Manor Park. If you would like to get involved, please contact Jon Hudson: britishlichensociety.org.uk/get-touch/lo...

Make sure you tune into BBC #Countryfile on Sunday 14th December to catch lichenologist, David Hill talk about the wonderful diversity of lichens that inhabit this pre-historic movement. More information here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... #lichens Photo credit: David Hill

An opportunity of a lifetime for budding lichenologists. The National Trust and the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh are offering a PAID lichen traineeship in #Scotland! The work programme looks fascinating and a great opportunity to develop skills. Deadline: 3/10/2025. www.asva.co.uk/jobs/trainee...

2/2 …fortunately a bit distinctive. Note large, black apothecia with pruina (powdery coating) and umbos (plugs of sterile tissue), which are characteristic of this species. Chemical tests still necessary to confirm identification: K+ yellow turning red, and Pd+ yellow-orange, from norstictic acid.

BLS will welcome applications from members for travel grants to attend IAL10 next summer. The full details of the application process and closing date for applications are on the website. britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/....

Happy World Rainforest Day! Join April Windle from the British Lichen Society to explore one of Devon’s finest temperate rainforests and the #lichens found there. Full video can be found on YouTube: youtu.be/OjCsyR6CThk?... #worldrainforestday #worldrainforestday2025

Happy World Rainforest Day! #Lichens are an important feature of these wonderful habitats. From loop lichens, to yellow speckle-belly’s to the red eyed shingle lichen & everything in between - they add so much beauty to our rainforests! #worldrainforestday2025 #worldrainforestday

Stepped into the wonderful world of tree lichens this weekend with @britishlichensociety.org.uk in Somerset. It’s both challenged and enriched how I think about rock and stone lichens and I’ll be exploring those crevices more closely from now on 🔬👀

Collecting lichens to explore their role in degrading plant litter whilst on the branch @britishlichensociety.org.uk

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone… theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

A great weekend at the end of February for the BLS Winter Workshop at Preston Montford, led by Neil Sanderson, Brian Coppins & John Douglass, working through lots of problem specimens and a trip to Alcott Woodlands. Photos (c) Douglass #lichens

We've returned one of England’s rarest lichens to its historic home🏠 Scrambled Egg Lichen has been reintroduced to Norfolk from Cornwall via a trial translocation🍳 Thanks to Cornwall Wildlife Trust & Norfolk Wildlife Trust, with funding from Natural England Learn more 👉 bit.ly/4hWieOP

What better excuse than #ShroveTuesday to draw attention to the (admittedly vaguely) pancake-like fruiting bodies of the cudbear lichen, Ochrolechia tartarea. As well as being an ancient woodland indicator commonly found in Scotland's rainforest it was once used to dye clothes. 👉 buff.ly/4dv8E2E 1/2

Want to find out more about lichens, there are events listed in March in Cumbria, Hampshire, Shropshire, and Tayside britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/...

Finally its February - a new month with events and walks available if you're interested in lichens. Walks listed in Cumbria, Hampshire, Shropshire, Fife and Strathclyde britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/...

BMS Talk: Diversity and conservation of lichens, a free online talk on the 19th February by Dr Rebecca Yahr, from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. #lichenGBI #lichen www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/resources/ev...

Take your lichenology to the next level! Places are available on a BLS Intermediate Stage 1 course in N. Wales in October 2025. Perfect for anyone aiming to move from beginner to early intermediate level. Application deadline: 18 February. Full details: britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/...

As promised below, R farinacea field notes now live! Can be confused with other Ramalina or Evernia prunastri, especially if immature or stunted. But it's Britain's most pollution-tolerant Ramalina, which helps explain wide distribution. You'll likely find it nearby! aspenecology.com/ramalina-far...

Highlighting the amazing work of @puginiercamille.bsky.social on algal evolution and the lichen symbiosis. @pierremarcdelaux.bsky.social @johninnescentre.bsky.social @thesainsburylab.bsky.social

Hunting for frosty Cladonia in the Cairngorms this morning. Glad to get fieldwork out of the way before the impending cataclysm of Storm Eowyn

If you're interested in finding out more about lichens, do look at the British Lichen Society's (BLS) events page for walks, talks and more across the country over the next few months britishlichensociety.org.uk/the-society/...

I really liked the approach the @bls-lichens.bsky.social AGM took to recording & the lichen interactive maps yesterday. Having a presenter who only knew one lichen, along with a top field lichenologist, Neil Sanderson,who both contributed data and changed the maps of lichens was inspirational.

The field meeting as part of the #BLSAGM2025 has started in Hyde Park, South Kensington. A great turn out from the Society today and thank you so much to the Royal Parks for having us. #lichens

Final presentation of the AGM is by our former president Neil Sanderson. Neil shares his use of the BLS interactive maps as a professional lichenologist to target lichen recording in his home patch. Finding a new & undescribed Graphis species to science #BLSAGM2025 #lichens

The next short talk is by Cassie Laughlin and follows on perfectly from the previous presentation. This talk, titled “inspired by interactive maps” - generating new and important records for Xanthoria parietina. Encouraging everyone to share lichen records with the BLS #BLSAGM2025 #lichens

Now for the series of short talks, where we have a great variety of speakers! First up, a recorded presentation by Ann Claypole - “Pedagogical aspects of the interactive map”, where she quotes “distribution maps are at the heart of the BLS” #BLSAGM2025 #lichens

Our fourth presentation of the day, is by Rolf Gademann & T.G. Allan Green titled, “watching lichens at work - chlorophyll fluorescence in ecophysiology”. #BLSAGM2025 #lichens

Next up we have Holger Thus from the State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart - talking about the past, present & future of European freshwater habitats. Titled “Clean, cool & flowing or dirty, dry & plagued by disasters”. #lichens #BLSAGM2024

Second talk of the afternoon, is a recorded presentation from Buddhika Weerakoon from Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka, speaking about the “effects of ammonia on #lichens in a tropical environment”. #BLSAGM2024

Our afternoon of lectures have begun, starting off with Chris Ellis from the RBGE, with a presentation on “Understanding climate change at a scale relevant to #lichens - identifying risks and opportunities”. #BLSAGM2025

A morning full of British Lichen Society business at our #BLSAGM2025. Great turn out in person and online as well. Excellent work across the board, with all BLS Officers re-elected for their posts. #lichens

"Populations on the British Isles are key for the long-term survival of the threatened lichen species in the North-Atlantic region". Couldn't have asked for a more inspirational talk to start our #BLSAGM2025. A massive heartfelt thank you Silke!!! #lichens

Kickstarting a weekend of #lichens with Silke Werth (LMU Munich) for the Swinscow Lecture, sharing research on genetic diversity & population structure of Lobaria & Sticta species on the Atlantic archipelago. Absolutely fascinating!!! #BLSAGM2025