Conversations with Lichen – Bioindicators as Guides for a World in Crisis

🌿 Conversations with Lichen – Bioindicators as Guides for a World in Crisis

📍 Pounds Park (Sheffield City Centre). Meeting point near the entrance to Hygge Café. 📅 Friday 13th March ⏳ 1-2pm

Join Eloise Smith-Foster for a gentle outdoor experience that invites you to pause, notice, and learn from the life growing all around us.

Conversations with Lichen is a guided session exploring what lichen — a living partnership between fungi and algae formed over millions of years — can teach us about resilience, cooperation, and thriving in changing conditions.

Lichens grow in some of the harshest environments on Earth — and have even survived in space. They are signs of ecosystem health and powerful examples of how new relationships can help life endure and adapt. Inspired by ongoing research within the , this session invites us to engage our senses, ask questions, and reflect together on what these often-overlooked beings might show us about care, interdependence, and how we respond to today’s ecological and social challenges.

You’ll be invited to slow down, reconnect with the natural world, and reflect on your own role in times of change.

“Their session on bioindicators as guides for a world in crisis was truly beautiful.” — Aly Noyola Cabrera, WAVES Gathering (September 2025)

What to expect:

• A facilitated one-hour session
• Gentle movement through the park
• Guided visual meditation and storytelling
• Small-group and/or whole-group dialogue and reflection
• Solo nature connection - “conversing” with lichen
• A relaxed, informal atmosphere and slow pace
• No prior knowledge of lichen or other topics needed

About your host:Eloise is an anti-oppressive researcher, designer, eco-futurist, and community organiser working at the intersection of land, racial, and social justice. She specialises in creating participatory spaces for collective imagination and deeper connection with our more-than-human communities. She is currently establishing Riverkin Relations CIC, focused on reimagining community relationships to land and addressing fascism within environmentalism. Workshop developed in collaboration with Regenerative Designer Andrea Gilly Marquez.

More information:

What to bring:You may wish to bring a small notebook. Weather is an unpredictable companion - please check on the day and dress appropriately as there is no cover in the park.

Accessibility & Meeting PointWe will meet near the entrance to (Unit 10, Elshaw House, 51 Carver St, Sheffield S1 4FT) before moving together further into the park. You’ll likely find us close by if you’re late.

All activities are invitational. You’re welcome to take part in ways that work for you - including moving around, taking breaks, stepping away or choosing not to join an activity.

We’ll be based on paved park paths (step-free, no significant hills), with the option to go onto grass if you wish. The session will involve some standing and slow walking. Benches and a play area are available, and you’re very welcome to bring portable seating or a blanket. Parts of the workshop may take place away from benches.

Please note the park is a public space and noise levels are unpredictable.

Children & Families:This session is primarily designed for adults and young people comfortable with quiet observation and reflective discussion. A play park is nearby; parents and carers are responsible for supervision throughout.

Toilets: There are no public toilets in the park. Nearby cafés, including Hygge, have toilets for paying customers. Please plan ahead based on your needs.

If you have other access needs or questions, you’re very welcome to get in touch in advance and I’ll do my best to support you.

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Host or Publisher Sheffield Social Enterprise Network