Lichens

Lichens-
🌿 These fascinating organisms are a unique symbiotic partnership between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. There are three different types, all seen in this image. 🍃
Crustose Lichens: These lichens form a tightly adhering crust-like layer on the substrate such as rocks or bark. They are often found in harsh environments like deserts and high-altitude regions.
Foliose Lichens: Foliose lichens have leaf-like structures and are typically loosely attached to the substrate. They can be found on trees, branches, and soil and are often more sensitive to environmental changes.
Fruticose Lichens: Fruticose lichens have a branching or bushy structure and may be upright or hanging from substrates. They are often found in various habitats, including forests, tundras, and coastal areas.
🔍 Lichens can be found almost everywhere, from the Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests and even on bare rock surfaces! Their ability to thrive in diverse environments makes them excellent indicators of air quality and environmental health. 🌎
💡 Fun fact: Lichens are pioneers in ecological succession, breaking down rocks and paving the way for soil formation, which allows other plants to grow. 🌱
Next time you’re out exploring nature, take a closer look at these unsung heroes of the ecosystem! 🕵️‍♂️ #LichenLove #NatureFacts #Biodiversity 🌿🔍
Read more

Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher can be found year-round in Florida’s scrub. This shy bird is smaller than its western counterparts but sports the same brown plumage and spotted belly. It has striking yellow eyes and a long, curved beak.
The Brown Thrasher prefers to keep among the shrubs and rifle through the leaf-litter and berry bushes below; because of this, they are often hard to spot. Despite this, they are fierce protectors of their nest, known for diving at people who unknowingly get too close. The best time to spot this bird is during the warmer months when the males perch higher to sing and attract a mate. Their songs are actually a mishmash of other birds’ calls.
Similar to mockingbirds, the Brown Thrasher steals snippets of songs from various birds and can even imitate their calls.
The Brown Thrasher has over 1,100 song types, so even if you can’t see the bird, you can listen for its call!
Photo Credit: Andy Waldo, Lynn Marie
Author: Sarina Pennington, IOF Volunteer.
Read more

Black Crowned Night Heron

The Black Crowned Night Heron is a unique species of waterbird that can be found anywhere near Florida’s fresh or saltwater sources. Standing around two feet tall with a wingspan of about 46 inches, the Black Crowned Night Heron sports a white belly, pale gray wings, red eyes, blue-black head and back, and two white head plumes falling over its back. They are best known for their stocky silhouette and comical lack of neck. Their calls can primarily be heard at night and sound like short, winded whoops.
The Black Crowned Night Heron is aptly named for its nocturnal habits, spending its nights hunting small aquatic animals like fish, mollusks, and the occasional seabird. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of what is available to them now, even carrion and plant matter. Despite this, they roost colonially in trees with other Black Crowned Night Herons or birds of different species, such as egrets and ibises.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author Sarina Pennington, IOF volunteer
Read more

Osceola’s Plume

Osceola’s Plume is a blooming plant that grows along the panhandle and
northern and central Florida areas. The flowers of this plant are white and turn pink and purple as the blooms age. The flowers grow in 40-100 bloom bunches at the end of a primarily leafless 1-3ft stem. From the base of the plant, needle-like leaves can be anywhere from 4-20in.
Osceola’s Plume is dormant during the winter and tends to reappear after fire, often growing in large colonies in the flames’ wake. Despite their love of fire, these plants grow best in moist areas such as bogs, savannahs, flatlands, and marshes. They drop brown seed pods and are a favorite of local pollinators.
Crowpoison, the other common name of Osceola’s Plume, is a member of the Bunchflower family and a group called the Deathcamas, of which it is the most toxic. The alkaloids in the plant’s foliage cause its poisonous nature and can be deadly to humans. Osceola’s Plume is a beautiful sight to behold, but don’t let any pets or small children get close.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Sarina Pennington, IOF Volunteer
Read more

All Rights Reserved Imagine Our Florida, Inc. Copyright 2019