Upcoming Forays/Workshops of the
Ohio Moss and Lichen Association
OMLA ANNUAL WORKSHOP AND BUSINESS MEETING
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Dawes Arboretum
7770 Jacksontown Road (State Route 13), SE, Newark, OH
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The Ohio Moss and Lichen Association will meet on Saturday, February 23 at the Dawes Arboretum. The Dawes Arboretum is located on the west side of State Route 13, north of Interstate 70 (about 1 hour E of Columbus), and south of Newark.
Thanks to Carole and Bill Schumacher presenting moss programs at the Dawes Arboretum, the usual $10 entrance fee will be waived for OMLA members.
TO BRING: Lunch, beverage, and a snack to share.
PROGRAMS
LICHENS: In the morning, Ian Adams will give a presentation on The World of Lichens. Lichens cover 6-8 percent of the world’s land surface, and have been described as “the fungi that discovered agriculture.” Ian will present a photographic introduction to the fascinating Lilliputian world of lichens – what they are, where to find them, tips on lichen identification, and their use in air pollution monitoring, clothing dyes, and food for wildlife.
MOSSES: After lunch, Carole and Bill Schumacher will conduct a workshop on moss identification. If you have a dissecting microscope, please bring it along. Also, bring a good hand lens. The Arboretum has a few dissecting scopes that we can use. The workshop will be based on using the keys and photos in Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians by McKnight, Rohrer, Ward, and Perdrizet (Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press). If you have a copy, please bring it. If not, you may want to purchase one prior to the workshop. The book costs about $25 on Amazon. The keys in this book aids moss identification without making slides and the need for a compound scope.
Forays for 2019 will be announced soon!
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What is a Foray? We have many new OMLA members, so here is an explanation of a foray. The purpose of the foray is to collect as many species as possible. Typically the Fall Foray is a 2-day one, while the Summer Foray is Saturday only. The group meets either Saturday morning and goes to a selected natural area and spreads out to collect (permits are arranged in advance). For 2-day forays a “scope room” is reserved and on Saturday late afternoon and evening, the group works on the identification of the material collected. Many members have their own scopes, but there are always a few extras around for those who don’t have scopes. A new member might want to pair up with a more advanced person to learn some techniques. Sunday, after breakfast, the group again goes to a selected natural areas to further collect.
Perhaps the most important mission of OMLA is to further knowledge about the distributions of mosses and lichens, and each foray concentrates on a particular county. Forays are a great way to make friends with folks interested in cryptogams.
Please contact the trip leaders to let them know you’re planning to attend. Alternatively, or if you have any questions about this trip or OMLA in general, please email the webmaster.