Lichens: indicators of air pollution

The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) are researching the relationship between lichens and air pollution and at the same time have created an initiative to educate people about it.

"The OPAL air survey is studying lichens found on trees and also looking for tar spot fungus on sycamore leaves. Both can tell us a great deal about local air quality."

In their website they provide a kit for people to go out and take samples of lichens that they can later upload to the site, creating a database that contributes to the research.

collection from/around the site

from the site

Considering the application of technology

We do not want people's physical intervention with the site- but a visual, virtual interaction.

This website is an example of the interaction we are looking at.

http://www.pachube.com/

The site

East side of  New Cross Cutting, 

behind Lockwood Building and New Academic Building

Rio 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity

This is the official promotional video for the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity.
The clip describes the importance of biodiversity for the ecosystems and for humans.
David Minter, President of the European Mycological Association notes that the video fails to include or make any reference to fungi's role within biodiversity.

Focus on small scale

For our Technonatures project, we are to develop design proposals that address habitats and biodiversity on this small area on the campus, the Network Rail right-of-way at souther-eastern edge of the grounds.


Our interest is on moss and biodiversity in general, and this will develop as we get to know more about the site and the organisms we tend to forget about.