On Sunday, April 17, The Metropolitan Society of Natural Historians was led by lichenologist, Jessica Allen from the New York Botanical Garden on a lichen tour in Central Park. We came across several species of lichens growing on rocks and trees that have been largely undisturbed by the throngs of people who frequent the park. Lichens can be found growing throughout the world in some of the most extreme environments, however they are particularly susceptible to pollution. Those that we came across are some of the few that can tolerate pollution. A full species listing of lichens in Central Park can be found in the online field guide created by Allen.
Jessica L. Allen, Lichens of Central Park; http://education.eol.org/fguides/fieldguide-view.php?guidekey=820
To view more photos from this event, please visit our gallery. All photos were taken by Maurice Chen.