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Event Name:
Lichen Walk in the Back 5 |
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Location:
Back 5 |
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Event Date:
Saturday, 11/8/2025 |
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Event Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
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Duration:
2 hours |
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Purchase Deadline:
Saturday, 11/8/2025 11:00 AM
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Lichen Walk in the Back 5
Lichens are essential to healthy ecosystems and can be found
in nearly every habitat across the northwest. But what are they? What do they
do? Why are they important? Join Dr. Hannah Prather and Katie Riley on an
exploration of lichens within the Back 5 Community Habitat Enhancement Project.
This rain or shine event will include indoor classroom time getting the 101 on
lichens, and outdoor time searching for and collecting lichens. This event is
open to all ages and will be a fascinating look into ancient organisms. We’ll
provide field microscopes, magnifying glasses, and some field guides.
Please dress for the weather with boots, and layers. You are
welcome to bring your own magnifying glasses or field guides. The Back 5 is a
wild, habitat restoration area with uneven trails, steps, slopes, and muddy
pathways. The outdoor portion is not ADA accessible, but there are portions
that will be. If you would like to discuss accommodations or accessibility for
this event, please contact jlebaron@leachgarden.org.
Guide bios:
Dr. Hannah Prather is a Visiting Scholar of Biology at Reed College. Her
research has focused on the intricate relationship among lichens, bryophytes,
host trees, and the surrounding ecosystem, all set against the backdrop of
climate change and urbanization. She’s conducted fieldwork spanning Oregon,
urban forests, and Antarctica.
Katie Riley is a senior Environmental Biology major at Reed College. She studied
wildlife management in Tanzania, focusing on invasive plant control, and spent
this past summer at Leach Botanical Garden researching lichens and the effects
of ivy removal on tree canopy epiphytes.