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The Great Silence of Lichens: Biology, Ecology, and Listening via Zoom
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 @ 7 PM via zoom
Registration Required
What do lichens—those quiet crusts on rocks and trees—have to do with intelligence, communication, and loss? Lichens are not single organisms but living partnerships between fungi and photosynthetic partners, thriving in some of the harshest environments on Earth and recording ecological change over centuries. Their slow growth, long lives, and sensitivity to disturbance make them powerful indicators of what we notice—and what we overlook—in the natural world.
In this online talk, biologist and author Dennis Waters explores the remarkable biology and ecology of lichens through the lens of Ted Chiang’s acclaimed short story The Great Silence. No background in biology or literary theory is required—just curiosity about the living world and the stories we tell about it.
