Maine lichens will be discussed live via Zoom by Dr. Ron Butler at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Thomas Auditorium, Preble Hall, University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High St., Farmington. The talk is hosted by Western Maine Audubon. Ron Butler photo

Western Maine Audubon plans to feature Maine lichens in its second of three free fall talks, to be held live via Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12.

The talk, by Dr. Ron Butler, will be held at Thomas Auditorium, Preble Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High St. in Farmington.

There will be no ability to access this talk at the time of presentation except at the auditorium. Recordings of the talk will be available at western.maineaudubon.org two to three weeks after the event, according to a news release from Will Jones of Western Maine Audubon.

This presentation will provide a general overview of the evolution, morphology, and physiology of lichens. The ecological role of lichens in terrestrial ecosystems will be discussed, and the uses of lichens by animals (including humans) will be explored.

A brief survey of some common Maine foliose, fruticose, squamulose, and crustose lichens will be presented, and some key references for lichen identification will be highlighted.

Butler retired in 2021 as Emeritus Professor at the Farmington university after 40 years of teaching.

To get the latest updates on this talk, visit western.maineaudubon.org. For more information about the event, email Jones at twilljo@gmail.com.

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