Lichen and Moss, Worcester and Hereford.

Lichen, and to a lesser extent moss, are indicators of air purity. Any pollutants present and they quickly die off. Different pollutants, usually heavy metals, kill off different lichens, so the greater the variety the cleaner the air. As a child growing up in the city I never saw anything but basic moss.

Here the variety always staggers me. I have seen it often growing on walls and trees and roofs, but until now had never sen it growing just sat there on the ground.

Not only is that impressive, but to me the structure of lichen is so varied, colourful and intricate. I particularly like the pale silver/green lichen, which shimmers if the sunlight gets it just right. To me it seems so beautifully ornate I can imagine it having been crafted by a skilled jeweller from copper and then left to oxidise in the air and sunlight.