"Lichen, made up of a symbiotic relationship between certains types of fungus and alga, are some of the oldest continuous lifeforms on the planet. They can live in the lushest of rain forests or the harshest of deserts by the ability to manage their metabolic rate relative to their environment."

"Lichen manifest themselves as the most innocuous greys and browns to the most electric of yellows, greens, and oranges.On a seacliff near my home a vermilion streak of lichen runs vertically next to the gold and blackened sandstone. The white granite diorite of the High Sierra supports chartreuse stripes of lichen next to glacially polished light reflective surfaces. I carefully note the colors and textures of lichens living on these surfaces."