climbers help discover new lichen species
Online News Article
Enga Lokey and NPS scientist Martin Hutten.
Photo by: Linda McMillan
On a clear fall Yosemite day last week, Australian climber Enga Lokey dangled along the side of Vernal Falls with a chisel in hand. Her task? Gather samples of the colorful lichen that streak the Falls' rock face and pass them to a National Park Service scientist. Little did either know that the handoff, and its scientific repercussions, would soon be aired around the world.
Internationally and in the States, climbers like Lokey are being recognized for the hand they played in the study. Members of the American Alpine Club, along with a handful of climbers from across the globe, joined the NPS in Yosemite earlier this month to work on a project that led to the discovery of a new lichen species, a discovery that will help scientists learn more about air and water pollution and changes in earth’s climate within the park. The AAC/NPS Lichen Inventory Project, which ran from September 1 to September 21, was a joint effort by the AAC and NPS to study and inventory the multicolored streaks of lichen that run down Yosemite’s famed cliff faces and waterfalls. Volunteer climbers like Carlos Buhler and Enga Lokey scaled the celebrity faces of El Capitan, Half Dome and Vernal Falls––in addition to other Yosemite sites––to scrape samples of the living organisms, which scientists on the ground analyzed.
Associated Press reporter Tracy Cone was onsite the day climbers ascended Vernal Falls. Her coverage of the project was taken up on the AP wire, where it then spread to major news outlets, including the International Herald Tribune. Discovery Channel Canada is also planning to feature the project on its “Daily Planet” television program. Media coverage of the venture is likely to help the NPS find funding for future projects, in addition to highlighting how stewardship projects like this can have a positive impact on the public view of the climbing community.
Linda McMillan of the AAC, who has been a climber collaborator and liaison with the Park Service in Yosemite for many years, says projects such as the Yosemite Lichen Inventory allow climbers to help preserve and protect the vertical landscapes they cherish. "They also clearly show land managers that climbers can be a unique and valuable part of the solution to understanding and protecting parks, wilderness, and wild lands around the world."
One point in the AP story was incorrect, she says, offering a clarification: "We NEVER did any sampling on El Cap. It’s almost completely devoid of lichen. We almost never used our chisels at all, because the only samples we could possibly get were pieces of rock that were already loose, such as exfoliating layers or small pieces of rock wedged in crevices. The super hard Yosemite granite only gave us pieces it wanted to give us!"
To see the news article, visit
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/24/america/SCI-Yosemite-Species-Search.php?pass=true
For more information on the project, visit
http://lindamcmillan.info/2008-lichen-inventory-project
Internationally and in the States, climbers like Lokey are being recognized for the hand they played in the study. Members of the American Alpine Club, along with a handful of climbers from across the globe, joined the NPS in Yosemite earlier this month to work on a project that led to the discovery of a new lichen species, a discovery that will help scientists learn more about air and water pollution and changes in earth’s climate within the park. The AAC/NPS Lichen Inventory Project, which ran from September 1 to September 21, was a joint effort by the AAC and NPS to study and inventory the multicolored streaks of lichen that run down Yosemite’s famed cliff faces and waterfalls. Volunteer climbers like Carlos Buhler and Enga Lokey scaled the celebrity faces of El Capitan, Half Dome and Vernal Falls––in addition to other Yosemite sites––to scrape samples of the living organisms, which scientists on the ground analyzed.
Associated Press reporter Tracy Cone was onsite the day climbers ascended Vernal Falls. Her coverage of the project was taken up on the AP wire, where it then spread to major news outlets, including the International Herald Tribune. Discovery Channel Canada is also planning to feature the project on its “Daily Planet” television program. Media coverage of the venture is likely to help the NPS find funding for future projects, in addition to highlighting how stewardship projects like this can have a positive impact on the public view of the climbing community.
Linda McMillan of the AAC, who has been a climber collaborator and liaison with the Park Service in Yosemite for many years, says projects such as the Yosemite Lichen Inventory allow climbers to help preserve and protect the vertical landscapes they cherish. "They also clearly show land managers that climbers can be a unique and valuable part of the solution to understanding and protecting parks, wilderness, and wild lands around the world."
One point in the AP story was incorrect, she says, offering a clarification: "We NEVER did any sampling on El Cap. It’s almost completely devoid of lichen. We almost never used our chisels at all, because the only samples we could possibly get were pieces of rock that were already loose, such as exfoliating layers or small pieces of rock wedged in crevices. The super hard Yosemite granite only gave us pieces it wanted to give us!"
To see the news article, visit
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/24/america/SCI-Yosemite-Species-Search.php?pass=true
For more information on the project, visit
http://lindamcmillan.info/2008-lichen-inventory-project
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