Outdoors - January 17, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - January 17, 2008 The Elusive Fisher Outdoors in the Land O Lakes byLorraine Julien There is a certain mystique about an animal called the “fisher”. Perhaps it is because it is seldom seen or perhaps it is because it is such an effective hunter. Its ability to kill porcupines in relative ease, even though they have the built-in armour of their quills, probably adds to its notoriety.

The fisher is a member of the Mustelidae family, which is made up of the most diverse species of all the carnivores. It includes badgers and otters, minks and skunks, weasels and fishers. All have developed the strong, sharp teeth typical of carnivores. Dependent upon variable and uncertain food resources, they pursue what they need with intelligence and in constantly changing ways. Their claws are not retractile.

First of all, the fisher does not fish for a living. Instead, this close relative of the marten is known for its speed through the treetops. For instance, the marten can catch a squirrel but the fisher can catch a marten!

A fisher does sometimes catch and eat a marten but, more often, it feeds on hares, small rodents, birds, carrion and fruit. Personally, I am well aware of its hunting prowess and am very careful to ensure my cat is safely in the house before dark each night.

With a unique degree of success, the fisher makes a food resource of the well-armed and populous porcupine. For a long time it was thought the fisher’s technique involved upending the lumbering rodent and attacking the flip side, which lacks quills. Not so, studies show. The porcupine’s defense works best against attack from above and behind. The fisher’s low profile puts it at the right level for a frontal attack, and it uses teeth and claws to inflict wounds on the porcupine’s face and neck before tearing into its belly.

At home in the wilderness, the fisher finds a hollow tree or log to make a good home for its slim body (up to 25 inches long, excluding the tail). The one to five young are born in March or April and become independent by fall.

A female fisher mates a week or so after bearing young, then undergoes a gestation period of up to 358 days. Of this, ten months pass before the embryo becomes implanted; its actual development takes about two months. This phenomenon also occurs with a few other mammals including the Black Bear. In a sense, the female spends nearly all her adult life in a state of pregnancy.

I didn’t see any unusual birds at the feeders this past week, nor did I see any animals other than the otters still playing on the ice and the red squirrels stealing food from the feeders. If you were lucky enough to spot anything interesting, please let me know and I can mention it in the next column. My email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Outdoors - January 10, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - January 10, 2008 Tracks in the snow Outdoors in the Land O Lakes byLorraine Julien

It’s generally assumed that most wild animals escape the harshness of winter and the problems of travelling, feeding and keeping warm by migrating south or by hibernating. This is true of many cold-blooded animals and some warm-blooded birds and mammals; however, many “carry on business as usual” searching for food, and regularly move about except for extremely cold, stormy days.

In fact, after seeking shelter during a storm, these creatures must then work extra hard to find food, made all the more difficult in deep snow. These same snowy conditions, however, provide a perfect time to follow and observe their tracks.

Of the animals that do not migrate or hibernate, only the larger ones are able to withstand extreme cold. The smaller animals, such as mice and voles, have such tiny body masses relative to their body surface area that their metabolism cannot maintain body warmth in freezing temperatures. They burrow beneath the snow where it rarely drops below 15 degrees F. Even some spiders may remain active in this environment.

Some of the best places to observe tracks are in or near wooded areas or along the shoreline of a lake or river. If the snow is particularly heavy, such as the big snowstorm we encountered before Christmas, tracks are more likely to be found along plowed roads or trails. Once the weather turns colder, a crust forms on top of the snow, allowing tiny animals and birds to run around freely.

There are many excellent tracking guide books, but the two I use are the “Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow” by Louise R. Forrest and “Animal Tracks of Ontario” by Ian Sheldon. Both books are small and easy to carry whether you are walking, snow shoeing or cross country skiing.

Illustrations of animals, their scat and their tracks are shown along with their walking and running patterns. Novices can easily differentiate between canine and feline tracks by remembering that the cat family (bobcat, lynx) have retractable claws, while the dog family (wolves, coyotes) have claws that do not retract.

Another common mammal family is the even-toed ungulate group which includes animals such as deer, moose, and antelope. These also are included in the books, as well as information on many birds and some domestic animals.

Tracking is a skill that takes a lot of practice but it is really interesting to try to identify which animals may have visited your area, especially during the hours between dusk and dawn when many of them move about.

Observations: This past week, after Christmas, I noticed a pair of river otters playing in the snow on our lake and diving through the openings in the ice. In this particular area of the lake, it seldom ever freezes because of the current. On December 28, Rick and Jody Foran of Farm Lake reported seeing a group of three otters playing offshore about 150 meters out on their lake and sliding down banks of snow into the water. I also noticed a fox out on the ice and just this morning, spotted a great horned owl gliding through the treetops near our bird feeders. I wonder, though, if he’ll be able to catch many mice with the huge amount of snow cover we have. Another real advantage of being in this area, during the winter, is the chance to see these and other wonderful creatures in their natural habitat.

I’d love to hear of any other sightings of birds or animals you may have. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Outdoors - March 13, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - March 13, 2008 Survival of the Fittest Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes byLorraine Julien

With the extremely harsh winter we’ve experienced, and are still experiencing as of March 9, my thoughts have been on our four-legged friends, in particular, whitetail deer, and how they are managing to find food with this near record depth of snow. In my area, at the east end of Kashwakamak Lake, we hadn’t seen deer tracks for weeks when, in mid-February, lo and behold, a lone deer walked down our driveway and munched on some low-hanging cedar boughs. Apparently brush, cedar boughs, etc. help to make their stomachs feel full but has little nutritive value. Needless to say, we haven’t seen any deer or tracks since. In fact, the only wildlife I’ve seen recently were the river otters on the lake and a lone coyote a couple of weeks ago.

I understand from research that healthy deer can usually withstand extremely cold temperatures and prolonged periods of really deep snow. When temperatures start dropping and food becomes scarce, a deer’s body apparently goes into an energy saving mode which means they’ll start using fat reserves and low activity. In the case of sick, old or injured deer, they are not apt to have these reserves of fat. Does and fawns usually fare much better than bucks as they use much less energy during the fall rut, and, instead, spend most of their time feeding, thereby building up their reserves.

During extreme cold, deer usually group into small herds of a dozen or so and move very little. They will focus on whatever food is readily available to them whether its nuts on trees, a nearby corn field or brush. They also try to stay near open water as they need to drink several times throughout the day. I understand they need twice as much water in winter as during the warmer months. In any case, I am hopeful that most deer and a lot of smaller animals who do not hibernate have managed to make it through this winter.

While out snowshoeing this past week, I did see raccoon tracks for the first time since late last fall, so I hope this is a sign that spring may be coming. Unfortunately, my poor composters will soon be hosts to these ravenous, mischievous fellows!

On the positive side, most farmers should be happy with the added moisture from this snow for their crops (unless their fields are flooded!) and some lake water levels should rise from the record lows of recent years.

Update on Strangling Vines: In the January 24th Outdoors column, I wrote about strangling vines but was not sure whether the larger woody vines were also Dog Strangling Vine. I’ve learned, from an excellent source, that the larger woody vine I described is probably the Asiatic Bittersweet Vine (Celastrus orbiculatus). Dog Strangling Vine is similar but much smaller.

The Asiatic Bittersweet was introduced from China in the mid-1800s as an ornamental. It is a deciduous, climbing, woody vine that can grow to a length of 60 feet. Small flowers give way to round, green fruit which ripen and split to reveal showy red berries that persist into winter.

It closely resembles our native Bittersweet but if you see this vine growing invasively, it is probably the non-native Asiatic variety. It can be dispersed widely and quickly as birds eat the berries and spread the seeds. Prolific vine growth allows it to encircle trees and girdle them. It also can completely cover other vegetation and shade, out-compete and kill even large trees. It’s commonly found along fields, road edges and old house sites and is fairly easy to spot, especially at this time of year.

Please feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Outdoors - April 10, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - April 10, 2008 The Great Blue Heron Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes byLorraine Julien

When a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) arrived in our bay last week (east end of Kashwakamak Lake), I was so surprised and glad to see him that I knew he would be the subject of my column this week. At the time, it seemed as though all of our lake was frozen over with loads of snow on top of the ice. There is, however, a little spring fed creek near the shoreline and I’ve noticed a lot of birds and animals use it in the winter months and especially in early spring. I was always under the impression that migratory water birds such as ducks, loons, and herons would follow the lakes northward as they thaw under the spring sunshine but this fellow must have been anxious to stake out his territory.

Although I’ve noticed a small colony of nests in a swamp on the east side of Highway 41, north of Kaladar, I haven’t noticed any nests in the area where I live. Great Blues like to nest in trees where the nests are almost invisible until fall when the leaves are gone, unless the nests are in dead trees in swamps as in this case. Apparently some colonies can be very large with up to 500 nests per colony (heronry) – the average, though, being about 160 nests.

The Great Blue is an adaptable wading bird with a voracious appetite. Its large size enables it to feed on a variety of prey from large fish (its favourite) and frogs, to mice, insects, snakes and crustaceans. In urban areas it may even feed in backyard ponds where there may be tasty morsels such as goldfish. This wide choice of food enables it to range farther north during the winter than other species, wherever there is open water, although such lingering birds may fall prey to severe weather. Herons locate their food by sight and usually swallow it whole. Some have been known to choke to death when they’ve tried to eat prey that is too large.

It is a migratory bird whose range extends over most of North and Central America and even as far south as the Galapagos Islands and the West Indies. In Canada, in particular, it is quite common in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, obviously areas where there is a lot of water.

Description: From head to toe it can measure anywhere from 39” to 52” with a wingspan of up to 71”. It can weigh up to 8 lbs. It is blue gray overall with a nearly white face and a pair of black plumes running from just above the eye to the back of the head. The bill is a dull yellow but it briefly becomes orange near the start of the breeding season. It is often mistaken for a crane but this heron flies with its neck folded, not extended like that of a crane. Its call is a harsh squawk.

It is intriguing to watch these birds stalk their prey as they lift each foot stealthily from the shallows without a ripple. They can stand motionless for half an hour or more until a hapless victim comes by. On many a peaceful summer evening, I’ve watched our resident heron slowly walk through driftwood and deadheads along the shore line. They blend in with their habitat so well that it is easy to drift by in a canoe and not even see them unless they suddenly move.

Please feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Outdoors -May 1, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - May 1, 2008 Turkey Vulture: Master Glider Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes by Lorraine Julien

This past couple of weeks I’ve had the thrill of watching a pair of Turkey Vultures gliding the thermals. When conditions are right, it seems that, for hours at a time, they can ride the air currents with seldom the need to move their wings except for a slight rocking motion. For a novice bird watcher, they are fairly easy to spot as, when in flight, you can see that the leading edge of their wings is a black or dark brown in sharp contrast to the silvery beige colour of the trailing feathers.

As the morning sun strengthens, these homely looking birds are transformed in their flights of fancy as they cruise at varying heights looking for the next meal. Unlike some other members of the vulture family, the Turkey Vultures have a great sense of smell, flying at lower levels as they try to focus on a source of potential food. In fact, these vultures are Mother Nature’s sanitation workers as they clean up their favourite food, which is carrion, the rotting flesh of dead animals and birds. Even long dead food is welcome – they are definitely not fussy eaters! If the dead animal is well decayed, it is much easier for them to eat and pick the bones clean. You’ve probably also noticed them hanging (literally) around the local dumpsites. In a pinch, they do eat some small mammals and birds.

In contrast to other birds of prey, Turkey Vultures have very weak talons. Stronger talons are not really necessary as they infrequently pursue live food, occasionally eating small mammals and birds.

They perch in trees at night, usually in groups, looking like little witches in their black cloaks. The morning sun invigorates them and, once again, they soar on the air currents. Actually, the Turkey Vulture lowers its nighttime temperature to about 34 degrees C which would explain why they seem lethargic until there is heat from the sun.

When raising their young, the ‘nests’ are very clean but, as time goes on, you can imagine the smell of leftover, regurgitated carrion! In fact, this very foul smell is the primary source of defence against potential attackers. Needless to say, the nests are not usually disturbed, especially by human intruders!

This vulture is found throughout most of North and South America and has been increasing its range north east on a regular basis.

Interesting Trivia: The Turkey Vulture’s head is especially suited to eating messy food since it is completely bare of feathers. This bird will certainly never win a beauty contest but it is a really hard worker and provides a necessary service in cleaning up ‘leftovers’! Another unusual feature is that the nostrils are perforated so that you can see right through the beak from the side.

Identification: Large blackish bird with a wingspan of about six feet and a body up to 32 inches long. In proportion to its body, the adult has a small, bare, red head with a white hooked bill. Two to three eggs are laid at a time on bare ground or in hollow logs or caves. Its vocals are very limited since it lacks the vocal organs of other birds and can only grunt or hiss.

Please feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oct 30/08 - New Farm Project

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Feature Article - October 30, 2008 NFU Local 316’s New Farm ProjectBy Julie Druker

Supporters of the NFU's New Farm Project, l to r: Andrea Cumpson, Ron Vandewal, Diane Dowling, Ian Stutt, Grant Robertson and Ian Dowling.

The NFU’s "New Farm Project" was officially announced to the press at the National Farm Union’s Region 3 (Ontario) Convention that took place this past Saturday in Sunbury.

The “New Farm Project”, initiated by the NFU, is an internship program designed to “build a more sustainable local food system in Kingston and its countryside”, explained Andrea Cumpson, the president of NFU Local 316.

The project’s goal is to enable more people to get involved in farming through education, training and support, thereby strengthening the region’s farm community and the local food system.

The project will establish a new chapter of the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) which is made up of roughly 12 Ontario farms, each offering internships that provide training for the farmers of tomorrow.

The New Farm Project will help set up the first eight host farms for 2009 and will eventually include a total of 14 farms. The project anticipates that by 2012, 44 interns will have passed through the project and many will go on to future farming ventures.

A total of $250,000 over a four-year period will be made available for the project from Heifer International, a not-for-profit, donor organization that promotes self sustenance and reliability in communities around the world and whose goal is to end world hunger and poverty.

Ron Vandewal, a farmer himself and a councilor in South Frontenac, welcomed the new project and said, “The township is currently working on a new official plan review to designate some large tracts of agricultural land in South Frontenac to be used specifically for agricultural purposes. These lands include a large tract on Sunbury Road and some land in Portland as well.” He added, “If a program like this will encourage someone to take up the challenge of farming, that’s great.”

Grant Robertson, NFU’s Ontario Region 3 co-coordinator, spoke about the practicality of the new program especially in regard to the recent research that the NFU has accumulated. Robertson explained, “Over the last 15 years Ontario has lost 62% of our farmers under the age of 32 which is a demographic crisis we are heading for. So this program is very important to ensure that we have people farming in the community to feed the community.”

He explained that the project offers future farmers an inroad into farming without them having to invest considerable amounts of money from the start but, rather, to get involved and have a positive chance to succeed.

Ian Stutt, the New Farm Project’s co-coordinator, described the details of the project and its incentive to encourage both new and established farmers to gain practical experience and education in order to increase the amount of local food available to the local community. He said, “It’s a project with lots of moving parts, a 4-year project that will include workshops and conferences that will evolve gradually with the focus of supporting farms, new and established, and creating a greater supply of food grown and raised here for the local market.”

It’s also a project that is open to people of all ages who might be considering a future in farming but may have little or no experience. Interns can work over an extended period of time, probably from early spring until November. They will likely be paid a stipend and given room and board, but each host farm and intern will have the flexibility to set up their own terms.

There will be an opportunity for anyone curious or who wants to get involved in the project either as a host or hosted farmer at a fall gathering event on Saturday, November 29, location to be announced at a later date. More information about the new project can be found at www.newfarmproject.ca of by calling Ian Stutt at 613 767-6037

The viability of local farming was demonstrated in the lunch that was offered to the convention participants by local farmers Pat and Rick Dawson of Desert Lake Gardens of Sydenham, who served sandwiches, soups, cookies and muffins all made from local meat and produce, a practical and delicious reminder of the benefits that this new program has to offer.

Feature Article - August 21, 2008

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Feature Article - August 21, 2008 Come to Parham Fair this weekendA weekend pass to the 116th Parham Fair costs only $12 - about as much as a first run movie, but no movie could deliver the kind of entertainment offered this year at the Fair.

On Friday night the fair begins with the bedrock event, the horse draw, and will also include a performance by the popular rock country band Ambush, who have been nominated for the Canadian Country Music Awards. A midway by Homeniuk Rides will open on Friday and run throughout the event.

Saturday is agricultural day at the fair, and this year in addition to the cattle, poultry, pleasure horse and antique farm equipment shows, there will be a few new events. Thanks to the dairy farmers of Frontenac County, Maple the Cow will be at the fair this year. Maple the Cow is a working replica of a cow, which children will be able to milk as if it were a dairy cow.

In addition to the lawn mower races, there will also be performances on Saturday by singing phenoms Carolyn and Kianna Derue, as well as the Tweed Twangers and Crossroads. The Parham Gospel Singers, and children’s entertainer Silly Sally will also perform.

New on Sunday this year will be a demonstration by the Sharbot Lake Karate Club, as well as the pet show, tug of war, and the finale, the Demolition Derby.

Thanks to the hard work and determination of the organizing committee, attendance at the fair has steadily improved over the past few years, and last year over 5,000 people attended during the three days, in spite of some rainy weather.

Organisers are hoping to improve again on those numbers in 2008.

The Parham Fair is a volunteer-run event, and the fair committee is looking for some help. Anyone who has two or three hours available this weekend is welcome to call Debra Smith at 613-377-6431 before the fair or go to the office when entering the fair (the office is next to the front gate). Any help would be much appreciated. For a complete list of events visit www.parhamfair.ca

Parham Fair and the Food Bank

The Parham Fair will include a Hole-in-one Putting Contest in aid of the Food Bank. The contest is being put on by the staff at the Simonett Building in Sharbot Lake with help from volunteers of the Food Bank. $2.00 will allow the participants a chance at sinking an 8 foot putt. For those who get a hole in one, their names will be entered into a draw for an overnight stay at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. Everyone entering will be eligible for one of several prizes donated by local area businesses. We hope you will visit us and donate to a good cause.

Outdoors - August 7, 2008

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - August 7, 2008 The Common Nighthawk Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes by Lorraine Julien

If you stroll through open fields, or drift lazily about in a boat on a beautiful summer evening, you may be lucky enough to see the Common Nighthawk as it performs its aerial acrobatics in a search for high-flying insects.

That is the only time I’ve managed to see them as they are primarily nocturnal birds and are rarely seen in daylight.

The Nighthawk’s favourite food is large moths, which are scooped up in their huge mouths (it’s to be hoped a few mosquitoes are eaten as well!). Bright moonlight, especially during the phase of a full moon, seems to really energize this member of the Nightjar (or Goatsucker) family in its forage for insects. As the name Goatsucker would suggest, it was once thought that these birds sucked milk from goats! This bird is so in tune with the moon that it’s thought breeding may actually be timed with the lunar schedule.

Nightjars are the most mysterious group of birds in North America. Because of their nocturnal nature, very little is known about their biology, habitat use and population, although they are being studied more closely by conservationists than ever before. Indicative of the species are the long, pointed wings, short legs, large wide mouth with really short bill and large eyes. Their call is an occasional short “peet”. One or two patterned eggs are laid on the bare ground or occasionally on an old stump.

Unless they are in flight, it is difficult to spot Common Nighthawks because their mottled brown feathers provide such an effective camouflage. In fact, the plumage is coloured exactly like bark chips and leaves. There are white patches on the throat, wings and tail but these patches are hardly noticeable when the bird is sitting on the ground.

The Common Nighthawk is closely related to the Whip-poor-will but it is a bit smaller at 8-10 inches. It is not a hawk, as the name would suggest.

During courtship you may see the males interrupt their search for food and make dramatic vertical plunges where they almost hit the ground (or water) before quickly gaining altitude again much like the fighter planes in old war movies. Just near the end of its steep dive, the Nighthawk’s wings sweep into a braking position and the air rushing through the feathers produces a kind of sonic boom. I suppose all of this showmanship is to impress the female nighthawks!

I had a great picture of a Common Nighthawk sitting on its eggs but it was so indistinguishable from the surrounding ground that I knew the picture wouldn’t reproduce very well in the newspaper.

The next time you are outside during a summer evening, keep an eye on the sky and you may spot a Nighthawk or at least hear one.

Please feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sept 25/08 - Abrams concert raises $1000

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Feature Article - September 25, 2008 $1000 raised at Abrams Brothers concertBy Julie Druker

Ginny Trousdale was proud to announce that close to $1000 dollars was raised during the Abrams Brothers concert in Sydenham on September 13. She was thrilled with the turnout of 300 + concert goers this year and added, “It was an overwhelming success in terms of attendance and mother nature’s cooperation.”

The cash funds plus three super-size shopping carts in food donations were happily received by The Louborough District’s Food Bank and the Emergency Relief Christmas Committee.

The funds were raised by cash donations, profits from the BBQ that was held during the concert, and for which Foodland’s donated all of the food and drinks, and from 10% of the total sales made at Trousdale’s store that day.

Scott Gordon a teacher at SHS sent down six students to manage the traffic and make sure that the parking lots of certain business were kept clear.

“It was a real community caring kind of event.“, she added, noting that everything came together very well and the event was well managed, organized and safe.

She felt very fortunate to be able to host the concert again this year (its third) and added that the location is great since the storefront makes for “a perfect natural outdoor stage”.

When asked if the show will go on next year, Trousdale commented, “While nothing has been put down in writing yet, I see no reason why not. Brian Abrams asked the crowd last year if they wanted to see this happen as an annual event and everybody cheered.”

She added, “ And it’s a kind of Sydenham homecoming for the boys.”

Also, at the David Brison memorial Concert held on August 21 in Snow Road, the Abrams raised $400 for the Sharbot Lake Food Bank.

With their rising popularity we can only hope that the boys will continue to come home year after year to both entertain and aid a very appreciative community.

Sept 11/08 - Outdoors

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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - September 11, 2008 Lichens Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes by Lorraine Julien

As you walk on and around the rocks of the Canadian Shield, pay attention to the Lichens that cling to life on the rocks and even some tree trunks, like a carpet made by Mother Nature. In fact, if you happen upon an open, rocky area, and you look closely, you may see lots of different Lichen species. Lichens, as well as fungi and algae, are in a group of plant life all their own. They predate modern plants and go back in time towards the origins of life.

Lichens are the hardiest of all plants, able to survive without water for up to a year and live on nothing but air. When dry, they appear to be dead but they only lie dormant until the next rainfall when they are transformed into a soft, spongy, colourful rug.

The Lichens that form a thin layer on the Canadian Shield are called Crustose Lichens which account for about half of Ontario’s Lichen species. They grow very slowly – less than one mm of growth a year. Within this species, there are many types which grow in various shapes, too numerous to mention here. You may have noticed another type of Crustose Lichen which grows at the waterline, leaving black tracings that mark the high-water point of bodies of water.

They originally formed hundreds of millions of years ago when plant life first moved gradually from the sea onto barren land. Although Lichens have no roots per se, they do stick to bare rock and produce acids that slowly break down stone, creating depressions to anchor themselves more securely.

Lichens are humble little plants that result from a partnership between various species of thread-like fungi and various kinds of algae. They grow in a wide variety of colours according to the species of the partners; resistant to drought, heat and cold, they grow in practically every environment. It’s also a good source of food for many residents of the forest such as moose, deer, flying squirrels, termites, caterpillars, snails, slugs and mites.

Lichens also play an important role in soil making. During changes in temperature, Lichen contract or expand, moving the rock dust they have produced and mixing it with their own wastes to make a thin soil which is slowly enriched as the Lichen partners continue to grow. Eventually, the depth and quality of the soil will sustain mosses, which will release their own organic wastes, further enriching the growing environment. As the build-up continues, conventional fungi colonize the fertile wild gardens provided by the Lichens, and small plants and tree seedlings take root, all of which produce wastes that add to the content of the natural compost. Slowly the soil area grows wider and deeper, and larger plants take root. Finally, trees are able to stand and grow in the good soil that has covered the barren rock.

Other than for soil making and food for animals, Lichens have, historically, had many other interesting uses:

Scots, at least at one time, boiled Lichens in water to produce dyes for wool, most notably to colour Harris tweeds!As a smoking materialMedicineLichens provide fibers used in clothing, and certain chemicals for cosmetics and perfumes. The dye is also used in litmus paper. Because many Lichens are exceptionally sensitive to atmospheric acidic contamination, they have often been used as pollution indicators.A large number of birds use Lichens for nesting materialFew species are poisonous to humans and, may in fact, be used as emergency rations (though I think you’d have to be practically starving!)Please feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.