VERFREMDUNG

Biodiversity & Greenery

The goal of the Lichen Lens is to acknowledge the diversity of the local neighborhood habitats and urban ecosystems in an open and public setting. The Lichen Lens allows visitors to take a detailed peek into the neighborhood's urban plants, fungi, and wildlife (e.g. insects, birds, small animals), and to follow its subtle changes over time. While the Lichen Lens highlights the local biodiversity and the concept of living together with natural systems within the city, another aim of the project is to bring more attention to the underappreciated and lesser-known organism ‘’lichen’’.

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Lichen:  familiar to everyone but known to no one

We all know mosses, but lichen is something completely different. Although lichens can be found almost everywhere such as on trees, tiles and in and out of the city, most people do not know what they are or have ever heard about their vast impact on the environment. Because they are very small, people tend to pass by lichen or even end up removing them because they are considered as harmful to the environment. Yet, the opposite is true.

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What are lichens?

Lichens consist of an extraordinary and happy marriage between algae and fungi. A relationship where both organisms live together and are doing extremely well. The fungi need the algae to grow and shape and similar to plants and trees the algae in a lichen converts CO2 (carbon dioxide) and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen. While at the same time, the algae need the fungi to provide water, minerals, and protection against sunlight. This is how the algae and the fungi maintain each other. Thereby, it is worth mentioning that algae, including those that form a lichen, are essential to human life and account for no less than an estimated 73% to 87% of the oxygen production on Earth.

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In the Netherlands, we have around 800 lichen species and they all have their own unique shapes and names. Due to their strange patterns, forms, and bright colors, they are often referred to as the corals of the land. They truly look fascinating and especially from up close, it is like looking at an alien landscape. Some species are very difficult to find, whereas others can be found practically everywhere. However, if you find them, they have a story to tell. Observing lichen closely gives you a deeper understanding of the environment, and offers a whole new level of intimacy with your natural surroundings.