Saturday, November 11, 2023
10:00am – 2:00pm

$35 per person 
Ages 12 and up welcome 
Meet at the Dwight Center

Perhaps you have seen colorful, bushy, leafy, or scaly lichens clinging to oak trees or covering rocks. Lichens are all around us, and they have fascinating stories to tell! These incredible organisms are diverse, highly adaptable, and play important roles in the ecosystem such as supporting wildlife. During this exploration at Pepperwood, you will learn to better understand what lichens are, where they grow, how they reproduce, and how to identify them. Expert lichenologist, Jesse Miller, will enlighten you with the biology, ecology, and identification of these weird and wonderful composite organisms. After this class you will be sure to notice lichens of all shapes and sizes almost everywhere you go! 

We will begin with a classroom presentation reviewing the essentials, and then embark on a walk to discover our local lichens first-hand. Please bring your lunch, as we will break for lunch part way through the event. 

We highly recommend that you watch our previously recorded class presentation, A Lens on Lichens – featuring Jesse Miller, before you join us. This video will give you helpful background information to support your learning in the field! Find it on our YouTube channel here. 

Instructor Bio:

Jesse Miller has worked as a botanist and lichenologist across California and the Pacific Northwest for many years. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016, where he studied the effects of habitat connectivity on grassland plant communities. He is currently a lecturer at Stanford, where he teaches ecology classes, including inquiry-based courses that engage undergraduates in real world ecological research. Jesse’s research interests include the effects of global change factors such as altered fire regimes on lichen and plant communities. Jesse loves sharing his passion for the natural world with others and enjoys contributing to Northern California’s growing community of lichen enthusiasts.

 

Ease of Access/Hike level: This event includes a hike of up to 2 miles, with some easy to moderate inclines, over varied and uneven terrain. Bathrooms and water are available at the meeting location.

Weather & Cancellations: This event will go on in light rain. However, it could be canceled in the case of heavy storms, unhealthy air quality or other unforeseen circumstances. In the case of cancellation, registrants will be notified via email.

Though we love dogs, pets are not allowed on the reserve. When visiting Pepperwood, please leave pets at home for their wellbeing and that of our wildlife. Thank you.

Please, no smoking at Pepperwood.

COVID Protocols: All events will follow current regional health safety guidelines. Please practice good health hygiene, and physical distancing when possible. If you do not feel well, please do not attend.

Image credit: Michelle Halbur

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Register for this class using the secure form below.

To register, select the applicable level below, either General or Friends of Pepperwood and click +Add. On mobile devices, you may need to scroll all the way to the right to find the +Add button. In the pop up window, enter your attendee information and scroll to the bottom to click “Continue”. Repeat this for other attendees. Next, on the main form, you may add an additional donation amount in the open field, then click the green “Continue” button to move to the final page for payment. Click the green “Process” button on this final page to complete your transaction.

For all questions about this event, please contact Holland Gistelli, Education Program Coordinator, at hgistelli@pepperwoodpreserve.org or (707) 591-9310 x 124.