Page 57 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2024_WEB

GROWING WITH EDUCATION A Ginny Rosenkranz

Lichens will grow on trees

iny treasures

decorate our trees
Tand rocks, help clean
our air, provide food for

some mammals, protect
rocks and trees from

extreme weather events like
strong winds, heavy rain
and snow, and are even

essential to hummingbirds
for nesting materials. These

tiny treasures are lichens, a
symbiotic combination of
a cyanobacteria or algae

that will give lichens their
colors, and many different
species of fungi and yeast

that provide the lichens with
their many different shapes.
The algae have chlorophyll

and are able to absorb
nutrients from the air and

use sunlight to produce
food for both itself and the
fungi, while the fungi with

its many shapes provide

(continued on next page))
Lichen in shades of green
Membership Matters • SUMMER 2024 57