Photos contributed by participants in a group walk led by naturalists at Forest Park Nature Center.

August 2025 Peoria, IL

October 2025 Peoria, IL

Photos taken at Alderworks Alaska Writers and Artists Retreat. Thank you Rhianna for helping document these photographs.
Tree lungwort is a lichen. Algae living within the lichen absorb UV light, and emit excess energy from it as red wavelengths which we can see. Many animals who can see in the UV spectrum like mountain goats, who eat a variety of lichens, probably see it with more contrast in the snow. Tree Lungwort is sensitive to air pollutants. It often takes 25 years to reproduce. Unhealthy lichen does not fluoresce as strongly. Humans will most likely never know what the visual world looks like to those who can see outside of our visual spectrum, but we can try to imagine.

June 2025 Dyea, AK