All Things Seen and Unseen
'All things seen and unseen'…..including lichens. This has been a good year for them as they continue to recolonise South Lancashire, and it has also been a good year for books about them:-
1. "Lichens" by Oliver Gilbert. (New Naturalist series - Harper Collins £19.95)
Recommended for your own or your local library. Whether you are puzzled by purple stains on quartzite or interested in the history of dyeing and perfumery, this is a fascinating illustrated survey. The writer's field work takes him from Scottish mountains to rocky coasts via disused airfields, churchyards and urban waste lands.
2. "Understanding Lichens" by George Baron (Richmond Press £9.95)
This is an introductory guide.
3. "Lichens" by William Purvis (Life Series - Natural History Museum £9.95)
This complements Baron's book.
4. "Lichens : A Field Guide" by Frank Dobson (Richmond Publishing)
This will be the 4th and revised edition of the identification handbook, which many of us have been waiting and saving up for. Due out soon.
Secondhand bookshops are still worth exploring for out of print items such as the Jarrold, Shire and Observer books, though scientific names may have changed. In Lancashire, Mike Gosling has done a lot of recording and shared his enthusiasm by lectures and field trips.
Current sightings in the Chorley area would be welcome additions to the Society's records. Try your garage roof, magnolia tree, Peltigera lawn or paving flags. Do ask if you'd like to see any of the books mentioned above or other visual aids. I'm a slow learner but did appreciate a recent weekend course on Churchyard Lichens run by Tom Chester in Northants.
Diana Downing