January 2015 – Lichen fruiting bodies! That’s what we found a couple of weeks ago on our visit to the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens. Pursuing our need to counteract the excesses of holiday food and football, my friend Jessica, her family and I visited this 120-acre urban woodland park at the suggestion of our friend Joanne K. This was the first time we had ever seen fruiting bodies on lichens – Jessica put her finger down so I could get a shot showing the size:
There is a gopher tortoise in there – I had to zoom way in with the camera to be able to see it from the trail.
Lots of diversity in the well-marked trails.
Fungi and Christmas lichen:
and reindeer lichen:
And a fun sculpture – I don’t know why I like it but I do:
The park is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. I enjoyed it so much that I returned the following weekend with more family. My 83-year-old mother was able to walk the trails with no problem.
