Lichens ‘resemble the archipelagos and continents of an unfamiliar atlas’

Lichens are nature’s survivors. Among the oldest life forms on earth, they are composite organisms consisting of fungus and alga/bacteria in a symbiotic relationship. One provides sustenance and the other offers protection from the elements. They thrive in some of the harshest environments on earth - at the sea’s edge, in salty coastal air, in soil, on trees and rocks. In the city, they thrive on concrete. Incredibly diverse, it can be hard to identify individual varieties. According to the Wales Biodiversity Partnership, there are around 1250 varieties in Wales alone. They encrust as much as 8% of the planet’s surface (this and the quotation above, Merlin Sheldrake, 2020 Entangled Life).