The Diverse and Underexplored Lichens of the California Central Coast

The speaker at our February 1 general membership meeting will be Michael Mulroy who will give a brief overview of common lichen species of San Luis Obispo County. Additionally, he will feature some area lichens that are locally and globally rare and worthy of conservation attention. He is most interested in rock-dwelling (saxicolous) lichens, but he will also feature some epiphytic and soil-dwelling (terricolous) lichens.

There will be an optional and free macro-lichen identification workshop from 6 to 7 pm before this membership meeting. We recommend you bring a 10X hand lens or magnifying glass, narrow-pointed dissection tool, notebook, writing implement, and a headlamp to help illuminate the specimens. We will provide microscopes to share, local lichen samples, and tips and illustrations on lichen identification. There will be a few extra supplies to borrow if you do not have them. Please arrive a few minutes early to facilitate quick seating and dispersal of materials in this mini-workshop.

From 7 to 7:30 pm the chapter will have a social gathering (and workshop cleanup time). The formal business meeting and speaker program will start at 7:30 pm. General membership meetings and this workshop are open to everyone.

Michael moved to San Luis Obispo County in 2019 to pursue a masters degree in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly, which he completed in February 2023 as a member of the Geolecology Lab headed by Professor Nishi Rajakaruna. His M.S. research focused on lichen communities of serpentine rocks and soils. Prior to his SLO life, he spent six years working as a biologist in the San Francisco Bay Area, and more recently completed two years of service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in beautiful Panamá. Michael currently works locally as a Biologist for Althouse and Meade, Inc. and continues to plug away at lichen identification and community ecology research.