Lichen: more than meets the eye

Cairncross Conversations 2026: Vanessa Ryan unpacks what lichens are and her research into the types found in our reserve We've all admired lichen - the texture, colour and patterns adorning tree trunks in the rainforest. Under closer scientific inspection, lichen is complex and fascinating, and certainly more than meets the eye! Vanessa Ryan (volunteer Research Assistant with the Queensland Herbarium), is excited to share her preliminary findings into an ongoing project cataloguing the lichens found in the reserve. In this public talk, she'll provide an introduction to the world of lichens, exploring their biology, ecological importance and diversity. Importantly, there'll be time to answer your questions about this often overlooked cluster of organisms. Vanessa will then discuss the Mary Cairncross Barcoding Maleny Lichen Collections Project and its progress to date. About the guest speaker: Vanessa Ryan joined the Queensland Mycological Society in 2012 to develop knowledge of macrofungi, and shortly afterwards began volunteering as a Research Assistant with the Queensland Herbarium’s fungi collection, a role I she has now held for more than 12 years. During this time, Vanessa was mentored by retired lichenologist Rod Rogers and later joined Ailsa Holland in curating the Herbarium’s lichen collection. Her current work focuses on collecting and identifying lichens, developing identification keys, and sharing knowledge. Vanessa is currently involved in several significant biodiversity projects, including the Mary Cairncross Barcoding Maleny Lichen Collections Project and the ongoing Habitat Jondaryan biodiversity surveys, where she lead the fungi and lichen components. It is an ongoing fascination and passion of Vanessa's to contribute to the documentation and awareness of Queensland’s fungal and lichen diversity across a range of ecosystems. - This event is part of an ongoing public speaker program, Cairncross Conversations: informative and accessible conservation learning for the community, held in the Rainforest Discovery Centre.