BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 13, 2020
Lichens are among the many fascinating and beautiful things found in the Maine outdoors, and they come in all colors, shapes, textures and sizes. Throughout the wilderness, lichens cling to boulders, wrap around tree trunks, trail from branches and pop up from the ground. Lichens are types of fungi that form relationships with algae or cyanobacteria to survive. In this partnership, the fungus usually acts as the house or shelter. In return, the algae or cyanobacteria produces food through photosynthesis. When you start to look for them, you find that lichens are absolutely everywhere.