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Nicholas Carter

@neacarter.bsky.social

68 followers 53 following 17 posts

Lecturer, University of Oxford Fellow of the Linnean Society of London Lichens, landscape and lore All things stone linktr.ee/neacarter

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 17

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone…

theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · 11d

Great evening with @racheldelman.bsky.social and @stoneclub.bsky.social at @soanemuseum.bsky.social last night for Fragments and Ruins. An unfolding labyrinth of stony wonder introduced by the magical words of the late, great Brian Catling. Thank you to all!

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Stone Club @stoneclub.bsky.social · 15d

Its here!

The first ever Ancient Times, our new zine covering everything stone related and beyond.

This issue contains French Megaliths, Daniel Gumb, Flint, Stonehenge, Druids and more!

40 pages of stone-mania.

Copies will be shipped in October.

stoneclub.bigcartel.com/product/anci...

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · 17d

It was a huge honour to be welcomed into the @linneansociety.bsky.social recently as a new Fellow. Such a beautiful building, packed full of nature’s stories.

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Stone Club @stoneclub.bsky.social · 29d

The time is nigh! Something new is coming. It’s in the woods. It’s coming!

Send us your submissions!

Articles! Photo diaries! Reviews! Enthusiasms! Unexpected Tales! UFO Sightings! Favourite Stones!

Whatever takes your fancy!

Email us via our contact form on the website, or slide into our DMs 😉

A stone club poster for all of you to suggest your ideas for publication

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · 26d

Looking forward to talking about the lichens and the living stone of Blenheim Palace on this course for Oxford Lifelong Learning on October 7th. Places still available!

lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk/courses/natu...

Nature in the Historic Built Environment: How to Make the Most of it

Managing nature around historic buildings can be a challenge. But it also presents exciting opportunities for engagement and conservation. This course will introduce new research, policy trends and ca...

lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Sep 7

Oh my, what an amazing opportunity in such a wonderful location :)

The British Lichen Society @britishlichensociety.org.uk · Sep 5

An opportunity of a lifetime for budding lichenologists. The National Trust and the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh are offering a PAID lichen traineeship in #Scotland! The work programme looks fascinating and a great opportunity to develop skills. Deadline: 3/10/2025. www.asva.co.uk/jobs/trainee...

Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Angeline Morrison @angelcakepie2.bsky.social · Aug 31

Save the date! Saturday 4 October is a Black British Folk Renaissance and you are invited. I’ve nurtured this idea for a few years now, so I’m thrilled that @efdss.bsky.social will be hosting it at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social See you there! 🖤 www.efdss.org/whats-on/26-...

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jul 31

Thank you for having me over @blenheimpalace.bsky.social for an armchair talk (sorry, couldn’t help but prowl for most of it!) about my research into Blenheim’s lichens and seeing stone differently. And so glad the escaped convict’s skull dressed in glorious Parmelia didn’t cause too great a stir ☠️🦠

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jul 28

Wonderful evening with the brilliant Matthew and Lally at @stoneclub.bsky.social. Particularly listening to @lallymacbeth.bsky.social talking about all things folk and my old stomping ground of Painswick in Gloucestershire… just don’t mention the song ;)

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jul 27

Sandstone @harvingtonhall.bsky.social, framing, bridging, laying foundations. Depth, warmth, colour #Stone #Sandstone #HistoricBuildings #Buildings #Weathering

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jul 26

Thank you, Fay!

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jul 23

Very much looking forward to this. I’ll be talking about my research into Blenheim’s lichens, their cultural history and the life of stone. Hope to see you there!

Date: Tuesday 29th July, 6pm
Place: Blenheim Palace

blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/event…

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Di Napier @larkinlichen.bsky.social · May 29

#lichenGBI Caloplaca teicholyta with apothecia. First time I’ve seen it fertile. On calcareous ironstone, Warwickshire, UK. Used video to catch the red reaction on the apothecial section, as it dissolved out rapidly. The soredia gave a faint pinkish reaction to K (not really ‘dull violet’) >

Whitish crustose lichen with white/brownish soredia and dark red apothecia with pale rims

A non-fertile example. Whitish crustose lichen with white/brownish soredia

The edge of a non-fertile example. White lobes, and white/brownish soredia away from the edge

Section of apothecium in KOH. The upper layer of the apothecium (dull reddish in water) turned bright red in KOH, but rapidly dissolved and dispersed. More or less continuous green algal layer below the hymenium.

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Sim Elliott @sim-elliott.bsky.social · Jun 7

The @britishlichensociety.org.uk LEAF course taught me that my road, Brighton, is typical of Xanthoria parietina-Physconia grisea community (Physcietum ascendentis): well-lit trees, urban areas: Hyperphyscia adglutinata, Phaeophyscia orbicularis, Physconia grisea, Physcia adscendens & X. parietina

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · Jun 1

Stepped into the wonderful world of tree lichens this weekend with @britishlichensociety.org.uk in Somerset. It’s both challenged and enriched how I think about rock and stone lichens and I’ll be exploring those crevices more closely from now on 🔬👀

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Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 23

Natural history museums are our most complete records of life on Earth and environmental change. Great talk by @jackdashby.bsky.social at @morethanadodo.bsky.social this evening. And what a lovely book cover 🐚💚

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 17

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone…

theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Julian Hoffman @julianhoffman.bsky.social · May 15

LIFELINES is published today, 25 years after my wife and I arrived in northern Greece with the aim of changing our lives. It's a book about shelter and generosity, borders and brown bears, people and pelicans. It's about how the lifelines of the world hold together the greater home of us all.

A copy of the book LIFELINES stood in a granite rock with the mountains and lakes of Prespa in the background.

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Rob Yaxley @robyaxley.bsky.social · May 18

A patch of licheny material on a mossy brick wall in my garden looks to be Vezdaea leprosa, with tiny loosely organised apothecia and long squirly paraphyses. 1st occurrence in VC28.

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Di Napier @larkinlichen.bsky.social · May 17

Interesting link to article about different perceptions of lichen interactions with building stone

Osbert Lancaster @osbert.realise.earth · May 17

Lichens as ecosystems? Interesting long read by @neacarter.bsky.social

I have strong memories of surveying lichens aged c12yo for some NGO. Must have been part of campaign against acid rain. Citizen science by snail mail.
theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Chris Cant @chriscant.bsky.social · May 16

On the wee red hill An Ruadh Mheallan in Torridon, on the way down at 500m asl we saw a lot of Alectoria nigricans lichen on top of an erratic sandstone boulder above the gneiss, presumably out of reach of munchers and tramplers. #LichenGBI

Alectoria nigricans on the top right of this boulder

Alectoria nigricans with a bilberry flower for scale

Alectoria nigricans showing the paler basal stems with pseudocyphellae - and darker pointed tips on the right

Tufts of Alectoria nigricans hopefully visible on top of the boulder

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Konrad Emil Schönfelder @brustringer.bsky.social · May 19

"Arguably, much of how we define something depends on our relationship with it and how we choose to see it. How we value the living in relation to the non-living plays out in how we define lichens; we need to acknowledge the importance and value of both. In doing so...

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 17

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone…

theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · May 19

Inspiring article ⬇️ about #lichens, stone, conservation, reconnection. In my experience, strange beauty, diversity and vitality of lichens has special power to 're-enchant' nature. People who take lichen walks and workshops with me all marvel to discover this secret world right under their noses!

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 17

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone…

theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford @oxfordgeography.bsky.social · May 19

Congratulations to @neacarter.bsky.social for the publication of this fascinating article on stone lichens, which is also a runner up for this year’s Conversation Prize! 🏆

#AcademicSky #Geography #Geosky #Conservation

Nicholas Carter @neacarter.bsky.social · May 17

Delighted my new article on stone lichens and conservation is out with @uk.theconversation.com. It’s time to think differently about stone…

theconversation.com/how-lichens-...

How lichens are bringing stone to life and reconnecting us with the natural world

Lichens bridge the living and non-living – understanding them allows us to better see how to conserve our heritage, and also ourselves.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Carter

School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford @oxfordgeography.bsky.social · May 16

A team led by Prof Louise Slater has created the most complete #map of the world’s #rivers ever made, offering a major leap forward for flood prediction, #climate risk planning, & water resource management.

Read more: www.geog.ox.ac.uk/news/grit-re...

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