Free Fun (and Informal) Lichen Walks
Upcoming walks:
Tuesday 23rd October (Lake Wood, Uckfield)
Monday 11th November (Waterhall, Brighton)
Saturday 14th December (Broadwater Warren, nr. Tunbridge Wells) Friday 10th January (Ebernoe Common, nr. Petworth)
They will all start at 10.30 and end at 16.00.
The end times are when I will be finishing, you can always leave any time you want!
If you are interested in attending one of these walks or want to find out more about them please email me: simeon[underscore]elliott[at]yahoo[dot]com.
I lead free Introduction to Sussex Lichens Walks to develop people's enthusiasm for lichens. These walks are ideal for beginners.
Maximum: 8 people per walk
I am not a lichen expert but an amateur naturalist with great enthusiasm for lichens.
I am a retired teacher (special education). However, I volunteer with The Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs project leading introduction to lichen walks and with RSPB Pagham Harbour leading bird walks; and I participate in the recording of vascular plants with the Sussex Botanical Recording Society and bryophytes with Sussex Bryophytes. I am a member of the British Lichen Society, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland and The British Bryological Society
The walks listed here are separate from the walks I lead for the Lost Woods project.
I lead walks in lichens in these landscapes of Sussex :
- Hawthorns and other trees of the South Downs: e.g. Waterhall, Devils Dyke, Malling Down, Newtimber
- Low Weald ancient woodland: e.g. Butchers Wood, Hassocks; Bedelands Farm, Burgess Hill; the little bits of Woodland around Cowfold
- High Weald Ghyll Woods. e.g. Wakehurst (Rock Walk (Francis Rose) LNR in Kew Wakehurst and the ghyll woods to the north; Eridge Park; Chiddingly Woods; Cow and Harry Woods (Nymans Woodlands behind Nymans).
- Lowland Heaths - e.g. Iping, Stedham, Hesworth (Fittleworth), Broadwater Warren
- Vegetated Shingle - Normans Bay, Tide Mills, Shoreham Beach, Pagham beach.
All walks start at 10.30 and finish at 16.00 (or earlier if it is too day or it rains) with a break for lunch: bring your own packed lunch
All these walks are FREE and I get no income from them or funding for them; therefore I do not have public liability insurance.
I will point out the possible risks at the beginning of each walk; but you are responsible for managing risks and you are responsible for your own health and safety on these walks.
Possible risks on walks are
- trip and slip hazards (e.g. rocks, rabbit holes, slippery surfaces; steep routes); so please wear appropriate footwear and look out for trip and slip hazards
- weather hazards (e.g. sunburn, sun stroke, dehydration, when hot and sunny); so please wear sunscreen, sun hats and sunglasses, waterproof clothing appropriate for the season and weather forecast and bring water)
- biological hazards (e.g. tick bites, insect stings) so you may want to bring a tick remover, and wear clothes which cover your legs and arms. Information on ticks and Lime disease: Lyme disease in East Sussex
There are posts for all of these places listed above which give information on the sites and how to get there by public transport. Put the name of site in the search box on the All Posts page and you'll find the posts on theses
Lichen Learning
This website (blog) contains may posts where I have recorded lichens with photos and names; to see these posts click: Lichens
In addition to this website blog, I publish a blog specifically on Sussex lichens; click Sussex Lichens
My Facebook profile has a "follow" button where you can follow my public posts without being Facebook Friends. All my public posts are on nature and many are abut lichens. Click Sim Facebook Public Posts
I also post lichen photos on Instagram. Click Sim Instagram
I do pan species listing when I am out and about - you can see what I have seen on my iNaturalist page (you don't need to be signed up to iNaturalist to see my listings) (I record species for the National Biodiversity Network using iRecord). There are more lichens on my iNaturalist list than on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Where I have used chemical test to identify species I put the results in the notes for each species. Click Sim iNaturalist
These websites are excellent for identification with great photos:
The British Lichen Society has a very good Top 20 lichens website Click: Top 20 lichens
The standard field guide is: Dobson - new edition now available | The British Lichen Society
The standard flora of British lichens is The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland (LGBI2) edited by Clifford Smith, André Aptroot, Brian Coppins, Anthony Fletcher, Oliver Gilbert, Peter James & Pat Wolseley (2009, reprinted 2011), British Lichen Society. 1046 pp. This is the definitive laboratory identification guide with keys to 327 genera and 1873 species. This is out of print and if you can get a copy of it second hand it is about £100, If you ever want to look at it I can bring it on a trip (with wheelbarrow to carry it!!!!) But LGBI3 is being published online for free Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland | The British Lichen Society
Happy Lichening!