Lichens at Mountain Lake

Join Shelly Benson, president of the California Lichen Society, on an exploration of the lichen flora of Mountain Lake.  Shelly will explain what lichens are and show some examples of various lichen structures.  Then we'll explore the lichen habitats of Mountain Lake, talking about where to look for lichens, lichen ecology, and why lichens are important.

The California Lichen Society (CALS) is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote the appreciation, conservation, and study of lichens. The focus of the Society is on California, but its interests include the entire western part of the continent. Anyone interested in California lichens may join the Society.  CALS offers lichen identification workshops, field trips, educational grants, and opportunities to meet other lichen enthusiasts.  Find out more at californialichens.org

Shelly Benson is currently the president of the California Lichen Society and has been studying lichens for the past 14 years.  She received a Master of Science degree in 2001 from the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, where she studied lichen ecology in the canopy of old growth forests in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  She has conducted lichen inventories in the San Francisco Bay Area, including an inventory of the Presidio of San Francisco.