Inverleith Park, Edinburgh

Just one of the amazing things about lichens is…

You don’t have to go to a tropical rainforest, the Caledonian Forest or the far west coast of Scotland to see them, you can go on a lichen safari right here in Edinburgh and in all our urban environments.

You’ve probably walked past hundreds of them today on your way to work, school or to the shops!

Tell us what lichens you find

Next time you step outside, why not take a closer look and see what lichens you can find – take a photo, and let us know with the hashtag #myurbanlichen – don’t forget to put the location where you found the lichen!

Part of the Edinburgh Living Landscape initiative & the TCV Natural Talent scheme.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has an active research programme to discover, protect and restore Scotland’s lichen diversity. Click here for further information.

What is a lichen? Find out more