British Soldiers and other lichens “come alive” as the snow disappears and the sun shines on Glennie’s fence posts along Old Legion Lane.  That is a good place to photograph such spring gardens as I can get the car close to them and their height is manageable.  Here are some examples of what was seen “through the lens”:

This “forest” of British Soldiers, Cladonia cristatella grows on the top surface of the most productive post, the one closest to the road.

The Claytonia Genus of lichens has a very large number of species, many of which are in Ontario.

Some folks collect and manage lichens to form miniature gardens.   Others study them for their potential as therapeutic agents in the treatment of  cancer.

I suspect that some lichen scientists can spend their whole life studying such a complex organism.  I can only hope to study and photograph a few local species of lichens.