PRESS RELEASE

New Lichen Species Names to be Auctioned off as Environmental Fundraisers to Protect British Columbia’s Wilderness Areas

Naming rights to two recently discovered species of lichens will be auctioned off as fundraisers for two B.C. environmental groups: The Land Conservancy (TLC) of British Columbia (www.conservancy.bc.ca), working to purchase private lands in the Clearwater River Valley adjacent to Wells Gray Provincial Park, and the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) (www.ancientforestalliance.org) working to protect B.C.’s old-growth forests primarily on public lands.

The two lichen species were discovered in B.C. in recent years by botanical researcher Trevor Goward. Since then their identity as undescribed species has been supported by two teams of molecular researchers working in Finland and Spain . According to scientific protocol, the right to give a new species its scientific name goes to the person who describes it. However, an online auction running on each organization’s website into the fall will earn the highest bidders the right to name these lichens - whether after loved ones, themselves, or whomever they choose.

“Having your name linked to a living species is a legacy that lasts,” says botanist and taxonomist Goward. “It has been almost three centuries since the modern system of biological classification was developed by Carolus Linnaeus; and even now the names of people after whom he christened various plants and animals are still with us. With any luck your name will endure as long as our civilization does. Not even Shakespeare could hope for more than that.”

Lichens are small, stationary organisms often mistaken for plants, but better thought of as cooperative (symbiotic) unions of fungi and algae: http://www.waysofenlichenment.net/. Instead of invading or scavenging like other fungi, lichen fungi live off sugars from tiny photosynthetic algal cells maintained within the body of the lichen. Lichens are sometimes thought of as fungi that have discovered agriculture: http://www.waysofenlichenment.net/ways/readings/essay1 .

Many lichens are sensitive to pollution and disturbance and become rare in urbanized and industrialized landscapes. The conversion of old-growth forests to tree plantations is taking a particularly heavy toll on the abundance and diversity of lichens in British Columbia. Some lichens provide critical winter food for animals like mountain caribou in B.C.’s inland rainforests and black-tailed deer in B.C.’s coastal rainforests.

Lichens come in many shapes and sizes. The lichen on loan to the Ancient Forest Alliance is a Bryoria or “Horsehair Lichen”, which forms elegant black tresses on the branches of trees in oldgrowth forests. The Land Conservancy’s lichen is a Parmelia or “Crottle Lichen”, consisting of strap-like lobes pale greyish above and black below. It too inhabits the branches of trees, and grows in the Clearwater Valley, where TLC is working with Goward to create a critical wildlife corridor for southern Wells Gray Park: http://waysofenlichenment.net/wells/corridor project.

Goward is an internationally acclaimed lichenologist who has described about two dozen species and genera of lichens, mostly in western Canada . He is curator of lichens at the University of British Columbia and author of more than 100 scientific papers and several books. His work can be found at: http://www.waysofenlichenment.net/portal. Goward lives in the Clearwater Valley near Wells Gray Provincial Park north of Kamloops, B.C. Recently Goward has come out in support of environmental groups, starting with the Ancient Forest Alliance and The Land Conservancy, by auctioning off some of his newly discovered species through the process he refers to as “taxonomic tithing”: http://www.waysofenlichenment.net/tithe/home .

“I whole-heartedly support efforts to set aside biologically critical portions of B.C.’s forestlands. Putting my new species up for auction for two highly-deserving environmental organizations – one working to protect public lands and other private lands – allows me to give something back to my home province,” says Goward.

“We’re extremely grateful to Trevor for his very innovative fundraising and awareness raising contribution to help us protect B.C.’s last endangered old-growth forests which sustain endangered species, the climate, tourism, and many First Nations cultures. As a new organization with limited funds, we need all the help we can get,” says Ken Wu, the Ancient Forest Alliance’s Executive Director. “Our goal is to raise $100,000 in 2011 to build the most effective, large-scale public education and mobilization campaign to ensure new forest policies on our public lands.”

“In partnership with Trevor, TLC is raising funds to create a permanent wildlife corridor that connects two separate portions of southern Wells Gray Provincial Park. The acquisition will include two significant donations of land by Trevor and his neighbours and the purchase of three further parcels. This naming auction will help support our campaign and we would like to thank Trevor for choosing TLC. Trevor’s passion and commitment to protecting B.C.’s special places is commendable,” says Barry Booth, TLC Northern Regional Manager. “In addition to the wildlife corridor, this project will also protect vital wetlands and a meadow that is home to Canada ’s most diverse population of Moonwort Ferns. TLC and its partners need to raise $350,000 to complete the initial stages of this project.”

A previous online auction for the naming of a new species of monkey in Bolivia netted $650,000, with proceeds going towards the protection of the monkey’s habitat. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6939793/ns/us_news-environment/t/right-name-monkey-species-nets/

Those who want to make a bid to have a new species named after themselves or a loved should visit the Ancient Forest Alliance’s website www.ancientforestalliance.org or phone 250-896-4007, or contact The Land Conservancy at www.conservancy.bc.ca/ or phone 1-877-485-2422.

For more information, please contact:

Ken Wu, Ancient Forest Alliance Executive Director, 250-514-9910, kenwukenwu@gmail.com

Barry Booth, TLC Northern Regional Manager, 250-564-2064, bbooth@conservancy.bc.ca

Trevor Goward, Lichenologist, 250-674-2553, trevor.goward@botany.ubc.ca