Welcome to the California Lichen Society!

California’s State Lichen, Lace Lichen (Ramalina menziesii). Read more about how CALS made California the first to have a state lichen.

The California Lichen Society (CALS) officially endorses the Consortium of Lichen Herbaria (CLH) as a platform to share and manage biodiversity data on lichenized fungi. We invite collaborators and institutions worldwide to consider participating by joining the Consortium. Visit the Consortium here:

https://lichenportal.org/portal/index.php

Join us next weekend in Alum Rock Park in San Jose for a Bioblitz! CALS is partnering with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful for their April 26 Bioblitz--we're bringing the lichen energy to the event and would love to have more lichen folks on hand to help
CALS is excited to announce that we will be organizing a lichen foray/bioblitz in Trinity County near Weaverville which will be hosted by our own Eric Peterson! Please save October 10-11, 2026, on your calendar for a great weekend of lichenizing and
CALS Board member Kate Bauer led a Lichen Enrichment field trip today at Long Ridge Open Space Preserve for Midpen Docent Naturalists and 2 Midpen staff members. "We encountered wind, mud, rain, hail, snow, and the temperature never got out of t
We all know that fungi are an integral part of the lichen world. A new @apnews article beautifully weaves the two together, while highlighting their importance, conservation issues, and great moments during our January Annual Meeting in Lake County.
CALS members Ken Kellman and Lise Peterson led a Valentine's Day lichen walk at Wilder Ranch State Park. Lichen-curious attendees learned about form, color, and reproductive strategies -- but more importantly, they learned where to look for lichens:
CALS member Ken Kellman giving an introductory lichen talk to a very engaged audience of 60 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. After the talk (and a very lively Q&A period), attendees took to the microscopes to take a closer look at som
How cute are these California Lichen Society Annual Meeting attendees??! 🥺 #lichen #californialichensociety #CALS #community #nature
Dr. Jessi Allen gives an impromptu lecture on reproductive strategies in lichens at the CALS annual meeting!
Some awesome haiku, lo-ku poetry time atop a lichen covered rock at the #CALS Annual Meeting yesterday. #lichen #californialichensociety #poetry #nature
CALS members in the news - a lecture coming up in early February by our own CALS board member, Ken Kellman, in Santa Cruz!