Cost of Admission: Members Free, suggested donation of $10 for non-members.

This is an in-person, outdoor event. Due to the inclement weather in the forecast, this program has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 30 at 10:00 AM.

NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT

Come for a leisurely stroll along the many paths throughout the lands of Mountain Top Arboretum while we search for Lichens. They are the intrepid little organisms that we see growing on the trees, soil and rocks, and many are found here. We will discuss how Lichens are not a single organism, but a complex symbiotic relationship made up of two or more independent parts, a fungus and an algae and/or a cyanobacterium. Using only available air, water and sunlight, these organisms can create life-sustaining nutrients by photosynthesis and can grow where no other organism can survive. They come in many forms, sizes, and in many colors.  We will discuss the types of lichens, where they are found, why they are here, and what they do for the forest. 

John Franklin is a lichen photographer and NYS DEC Steward working with Lichens as part of the Catskill Preserve Old Growth Forest Group. He has spent the last 6 years identifying lichens in the Catskills and other regions of Southern New York. He has done lichen walks at Minnewaska State Park, Sam's Point Preserve, and John Burrough's Slabsides Nature Sanctuary.