Welcome

The Cumbria Lichen and Bryophyte group is a self-study group for everyone interested in learning, recording, conserving or simply enjoying Cumbria’s lichens and bryophytes (regardless of experience) .

Please join us on a field trip and share your experiences with us on the Cumbria Lichens and Cumbria Bryophytes Facebook groups.

Platyhypnidium riparioides capsule – Clare Shaw
Physconia distorta at Aira Force
Physconia distorta, Aira Force – Chris Cant
Sphagnum palustre and fallax – Clare Shaw
Bartramia pomiformis – Clare Shaw
Bunodophoron melanocarpum, Naddle – Chris Cant
Oak pasture, Birkrigg fell, Newlands valley – Chris Cant

Here are our most recent blog posts:

  • Lichenologists at an ash tree in Helbeck Wood
    Helbeck Trip Report 19-05-22
    I’d not heard of Helbeck Wood until recently, though I knew the silhouette of Fox Tower and the haze of trees beneath it from journeys over the A66. The SSSI citation describes it as “considered by some to be the best ash-elm wood left on limestone in England”. Access has always been difficult or strictly […]
  • CLBG and Brantwood staff
    Brantwood trip report 18-03-22
    Bryophytes A beautiful spring day saw a record turnout for a visit to Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin from 1871 to 1900. The Brantwood Estate covers nearly 90 hectares with a range of different habitats present from lakeshore and garden to oak woodland, gills, mires and upland heath. The general objective of the day […]
  • CLBG Bryophyte Training 2022
    Bryophyte and Lichen Training, February 2022
    Thanks to funding from Natural England and extra funding support from the British Lichen Society, we were able to run two-day training sessions in February 2022 for both bryologists and lichenologists. The funding also included the purchase of microscopes which will be held by Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre available for loans; we expect to have […]
  • Landmark oak, fallen by the Rothay
    Storm Arwen Twigs
    I’ve often wondered about canopy lichens: are the same species found at the top of trees as on branches lower down? Are the sticks I pick up from the ground representative of what’s going on above? It’s an ill wind Storm Arwen gave an opportunity to find out. Strong winds (from the north!) barrelled down […]
  • CLBG lichenologists at Thorneythwaite
    Thorneythwaite Trip report 20-01-22
    Bryophytes The Bryophyte contingent was smaller than recently with only four attending on a super blue-sky day. Thornythwaite Wood is owned by the National Trust and is considered one of their top five woods in Borrowdale for bryophytes.  Ben Averis produced an excellent bryophyte report for NT in 2017 and included target notes, grid refs […]