Biologist and lichen specialist Tom Carlberg will be in the Lake Earl Wildlife Area Information Center on Sunday for a free program titled “Looking for Lichens.”It’s scheduled from 1-4 p.m., as part of the Tolowa Coast Summer Nature Program.Carlsberg will begin the event with a slideshow introduction to lichens, before wrapping up with an easy half-mile guided field trip to search out a variety of species within the Lake Earl Wildlife Area.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');“The Tolowa Coast fosters an entire community of lichens that thrive within a very narrow coastal zone,” according to a press release from the Tolowa Coast Summer Nature Program. “Their presence is an indicator of clean air.“Lichens are a partnership of two different organisms — a fungal species and an algal species.”Carlberg specializes in lichens and works in northwest California and southwest Oregon, where he teaches workshops, leads walks and writes about lichens. He is president of the California Lichen Society and a field associate of the California Academy of Sciences.“They are not organisms per se, and only exist in symbiosis,” Calberg said in a press release. “This is a really intriguing way of being. For example, if the partners are separated, the result looks nothing like a lichen…”Participants are encouraged to bring drinking water and insect repellent, and also to wear comfortable walking shoes, a long-sleeve shirt and pants.The Lake Earl Wildlife Area Information Center is at 2591 Old Mill Road.The Tolowa Coast Summer Nature Program is sponsored by the Redwood Parks Conservancy and the Tolowa Dunes Stewards, in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California State Parks. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });