Tomorrow my nature study class is to looks at lichens; because I know for sure that there ARE lichens within walking distance of the church. I’ve been reading library books about lichens, but I’m not sure what is best to ask the kids about, or what they can figure out for themselves by observation. The idea that the little plant communities are hard to name is fun, but not so interesting for 1st graders. I need to look up the story of Beatrix Potter, the first person to suggest that they were both fungus and algae living together. I need to collect a little bit of my Mom’s rotting picnic table with British Soldiers growing on it (Cladonia cristatella), and think of two more topics for them to study in the last two weeks. I haven’t kept great phrenological notes for around here, I don’t know what will be doing interesting things in the next few weeks locally. The daffodils have put up spikes in the sheltered bed by the church door, but that doesn’t mean there will be blooms soon.
Anyone in South Eastern Mass/Rhode Island, have ideas?
I may have the kids walk around looking for questions and subjects instead of reading stories tomorrow at the end of class time.
But I have learned some cool tidbits from my research; lichens were used to dye Harris Tweed, and imparted a natural anti-bactireal and moth proofing that made the cloth last longer. The trade in dye stuff lichens was as big a money making deal as spices in the 15th centuries. Various animals can eat lichen as fodder. There was a lichen brandy made in Sweden in the 19th century, but the distillery went out of business when the lichen supply ran out.
The moss gardens in some of the books look so adorable. I want to look into making a terrarium; of course, most of the moss gardening books were published a long time ago, I need to see what the current thought is on wild crafted mosses and lichens, no point in collecting them if I’m just going to kill them; especially if they are rare.
OK, questions that have occurred to me for tomorrow: where do you find these lichens? What are they growing on? Do you find them on other sites? Do they like one exposure better than another? Are they green? Describe what they look like.
My class mostly just loves to be outside, those questions and the field guide should do it.