Hello folks,
A new season is upon us and I’ve sprung into action (alright, don’t vomit!). I’ve had an exciting couple of weeks! I first went out and about in the borders, to warm up for my looming lichen identification course. Spring was in the air!
and as usual I saw some pretty impressive lichens, check out this Calicium viride. It makes a big fluorescent streak on the trees.
This is what it looks like from a distance. You can hardly miss it!
Then it was swiftly on to the Kindrogan field studies centre in Perthshire learning lichen identification skills from the first couple of Lichenology: Brian and Sandy Coppins.
We went out and about to some gorgeous places including Braemar (pictured left)
and saw some amazing new lichens such as this Peltigera britannica.
The course was great for improving confidence and increasing the range of species I can now identify in the field. It was fantastic.
But right slap bang in the middle of it I nipped back to Edinburgh to run a lichen course for kids as part of Edinburgh’s Science festival. It was fantastic fun. I even got a full grown man to dress up as an algal cell!
This cuddly toy is (OK, with the exception of the eyes) actually a fairly accurate representation of the common lichen cyanobacteria: Nostoc. It made a great teaching aid.
I’m signed up to teach at the science festival again next year. Can’t wait!
And on Sunday in the glorious weather Oliver, Nev and I went out and held stalls at the Darwin 200 exhibition at Yellowcraig. It was really busy so a very successful day. Everybody loved getting a chance to use the microscopes we brought. Here’s a few pictures from the day!
Ha ha, thanks to all that helped us get everything together. Especially you Nev, good luck with the new baby when it finally arrives!
