Walking for Health - Yellow Lichen

This is our third primary colour and our third week of walking to keep us active and give us a purpose when we are out and about by looking out for the colour yellow. At this time of the year lichen is yellow. Lichens are made up of two different tiny living organism: 1 is a fungus and the other is an alga. The fungus and the alga benefit from living with each other. the all produces the food and the fungus gathers the water. in the way a lichen can survive the harsh winter weather that would kill both the fungus and algae if they grew alone - but together they make it through the winter.

Have a look out for lichen as you walk. Sadly you won't see any reindeer lichen as this grows in the arctic lands of the northern tundra and the taiga ecosystems and is eaten by reindeer, moose caribou and musk oxen. Map lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) has a strong yellow to pale green encrusted rosette and can be found on hard granite and silica rock.