28th May 2022
A party of about 15 volunteers met to spend the morning taking care of the dune habitat. In particular, we were concerned with preserving the lichen population by clearing mainly non-native Lodgepole pine trees.
It was great to have Heather Paul with us to help us to look closer at the different species of Lichen that make their home on the dunes. She provided us with eye scopes so we could get up close; the markings and fruiting bodies were so beautiful to see this close up and Heather added knowledge of their life cycles along with other interesting facts to make this a truly inspirational morning.
This Lichen can be found on the dunes and is a variety of Cladonia.
Alongside close up work with the lichens we enjoyed finding out more about the general habitat, with lots of interesting facts provided by members of the Hinterland Trust, which really enhanced how much we noticed and saw on the site as well as increasing our general understanding of the importance of maintaining the habitat. Unfortunately, some of the trees did have to come out to maintain the balance in the environment to allow us to continue to enjoy the beautiful dunes as we know them.
Tea break was also a highlight with Jonathan having made sure we had lots of varieties of tea (including using teapots for a proper brew) as well as cake and biscuits and all this out in the dunes!!
It was a fantastic morning with good company and connection, beautiful scenery and wonderful learning; it was truly nourishing for the soul.
Jane Brannan was also one of the volunteers on the day and here is a poem by her as well as some thoughts from the day:
Algy met Fungy one day
Algy and Fungy made friends
Forever friends you could say
Were they codependent?
Yes in a strange kind of way!
But yet something altogether different:
Yes an intimate association
Yes, and much co-ordination
And incredible co-operation
Look closer and you will see
One is living off the other
Both live in total harmony but
Neither will ever be free.
Jane also put together some key words from the day along with the help of Anna, Asa and Izzy who were all volunteers on the day:
Meeting new people, deepening connections, community, service, joy, inspiration, beauty, being close to nature, being outdoors, Love in Action, gratitude, tea and cake, Lodgepole Pines, Scots Pines, loving the shapes of lichen and fungi, looking closely, the other world of lichens, learning, eye lenses, discoveries, sharing excitement.
Asa found a potential new species of a fungus growing on a lichen which Heather will go on to examine under a microscope.
Louise Barnett – volunteer and new FHT member.
Hinterland Work Parties – The Joy of Discovery
28th May 2022
A party of about 15 volunteers met to spend the morning taking care of the dune habitat. In particular, we were concerned with preserving the lichen population by clearing mainly non-native Lodgepole pine trees.
It was great to have Heather Paul with us to help us to look closer at the different species of Lichen that make their home on the dunes. She provided us with eye scopes so we could get up close; the markings and fruiting bodies were so beautiful to see this close up and Heather added knowledge of their life cycles along with other interesting facts to make this a truly inspirational morning.
This Lichen can be found on the dunes and is a variety of Cladonia.
Alongside close up work with the lichens we enjoyed finding out more about the general habitat, with lots of interesting facts provided by members of the Hinterland Trust, which really enhanced how much we noticed and saw on the site as well as increasing our general understanding of the importance of maintaining the habitat. Unfortunately, some of the trees did have to come out to maintain the balance in the environment to allow us to continue to enjoy the beautiful dunes as we know them.
Tea break was also a highlight with Jonathan having made sure we had lots of varieties of tea (including using teapots for a proper brew) as well as cake and biscuits and all this out in the dunes!!
It was a fantastic morning with good company and connection, beautiful scenery and wonderful learning; it was truly nourishing for the soul.
Jane Brannan was also one of the volunteers on the day and here is a poem by her as well as some thoughts from the day:
Algy met Fungy one day
Algy and Fungy made friends
Forever friends you could say
Were they codependent?
Yes in a strange kind of way!
But yet something altogether different:
Yes an intimate association
Yes, and much co-ordination
And incredible co-operation
Look closer and you will see
One is living off the other
Both live in total harmony but
Neither will ever be free.
Jane also put together some key words from the day along with the help of Anna, Asa and Izzy who were all volunteers on the day:
Meeting new people, deepening connections, community, service, joy, inspiration, beauty, being close to nature, being outdoors, Love in Action, gratitude, tea and cake, Lodgepole Pines, Scots Pines, loving the shapes of lichen and fungi, looking closely, the other world of lichens, learning, eye lenses, discoveries, sharing excitement.
Asa found a potential new species of a fungus growing on a lichen which Heather will go on to examine under a microscope.
Louise Barnett – volunteer and new FHT member.