Lichens: benefiting nature and man

They’re everywhere in Alaska and they’re useful in sometimes surprising ways.

Karen Dillman, a botanist with the U.S. Forest Service, spoke to a crowd of about 10 at the Petersburg Public Library on Thursday, April 23, about coastal lichens.

For these particular lichens, “the beach has created a niche so they can be successful,” she said. Some thrive in areas of ocean spray or right along the water.

Dillman went over several different types during the Petersburg Science Series presentation, such as the verrucaria maura she named her daughter after that produces black patches on the surface of...