January 20 & 21, 2023 - Hike and Learn
We kicked off our 2023 season of programming with a bang! Not only did our Bryophytes and Lichens of the Monument Hike & Learn with Scot Loring sell out, but each one of us who attended got to deepen our appreciation and knowledge of these wildly diverse and resilient organisms.
On Friday evening, we enjoyed a two-for-one lecture from Scot. He gave one lecture on bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) and a second lecture on lichens. Scot taught us what each of these organisms are, explained the many ingenious ways they reproduce, and shared that they can live in the hottest, highest, coldest, and harshest places on Earth! Scot brought along some specimens that he’d recently collected so we got see, smell, and touch several different types of bryophytes and lichens.
On the following day, 18 of us donned snowshoes and took a relaxed walk on the Pacific Crest Trail near the Hyatt Lake Campground in the sun and sparkling snow. Scot stopped us all along the way to look at the incredible variety of lichens and a few bryophytes we found growing on tree trunks and branches, rocks, stumps, and more. We used hand lenses, magnifying glasses, and the “magnifier” on our iPhones to get a close up look at some of the ones we spotted. We lunched under a lovely old conifer covered in lichens and shared stories, browsed through field guides, and basked in the warmth of the sun.
We’d like to give a shout out to the Medford District BLM and the US Forest Service for the loaner snowshoes. And, of course, a huge thank you to our Board member Scot for sharing his passion and expertise with us!
