Ecology on the Rocks: lichens & other life in the vertical world w/cliff ecologist Dr. Laura Boggess

Name: Ecology on the Rocks: lichens & other life in the vertical world w/cliff ecologist Dr. Laura Boggess
Start: 2025-11-05T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-11-05T21:00:00-05:00
Location: The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage

Schedule

Wed Nov 05 2025 at 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage | Asheville, NC

Wednesday, November 5th

Ecology on the Rocks: lichens and other life in the vertical world with cliff ecologist Dr. Laura Boggess.
Cool word of the day: lithophilic.
Combining the Greek lithos and philos, this term for “stone loving” is remarkably useful (e.g., Scrabble, first dates, last dates), particularly for describing organisms that live on the surface of rocks. Now, I get that rocks, with their limited soil and famously un-pillowy disposition, might not seem like choice habitat. And, yes, the vertical faces of cliffs, sunbaked and wind whipped as they are, can appear especially uninviting.
Cliff surfaces, however, can contain incredibly dynamic ecosystems. Here, clinging to craggy ledges and overhangs, lichens, mosses, and cliff-adapted plants are living large (well … mostly small), having evolved extraordinary mechanisms for surviving in thin soils and harsh microclimates. These towering, vertical landscapes function as refuges for rare species and also as model systems for understanding disturbance, diversity, and resilience in a changing world.
The November salon will be a literal cliffhanger! Join lichenologist and cliff ecologist Dr. Laura Boggess to explore the elusive ecosystems that cling to rock faces. Dr. Boggess’ work focuses on lichen and other often overlooked organisms that dwell on stony precipices that most rational beings would try to avoid. Laura is a professor at Mars Hill University, where her research integrates ecosystem science and conservation to unlock the mysteries of ecologically essential symbionts and what they can teach us about resilience, adaptation, and life on the rocks.
Doors at 5:00 PM. Have a drink with old friends, meet new ones, and get ready for some serious science in a seriously un-serious setting.
Presentation starts at 7:00. Then, stick around for Q&A, discussion, and time with a community of people who value learning, curiosity, and dwelling in a shared reality!