Join Frances Anderson and I in the woods in Southwestern Nova Scotia with a couple of hand lenses. We spend a fascinating morning of lichen discovery in an area of forest on the South Shore of Minamkeak Lake near Bridgewater. 

Former librarian Frances Anderson began studying lichens in 2000. Since then she has explored thousands of kilometers of back woods in Nova Scotia, discovered lichen species new to the province and to the Maritimes, written and co-authored over a dozen papers on lichens and a field guide designed to bring (sometimes mysterious) lichens to the general public. She is a Research Associate at the Nova Scotia Museum.

Frances explains what lichens are, how they reproduce, and what roles they have within the ecosystem, how they can assist in air pollution monitoring, some applications in medicine, and also Frances talks about how much we still don’t know about lichens! 

You can find supplementary photos of some lichens that go with the audio on our facebook page.

Episode Resources:

If you are interested in purchasing a hand lens, France recommends this type: A 10x magnifying Hastings triplet lens (but maybe avoid the ultra cheap ones).

The book : Common Lichens of Northeastern North America by Troy McMullin and Frances Anderson. (If you are in Canada, Frances will send you a copy for $40 CAD + shipping. Send me a message through Shared Ground facebook page and I will put you in touch.)

Eagle Hill Institute  (in Maine)

Bioblitz Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) facebook page

City Nature Challenge

An article about the decision to halt the logging of the 3 parcels to the North of Minamkeak Lake

Bridgewater Watershed Protection Alliance

Another source of information on the watershed and potential Wilderness Area: this eco-action page