Project Timeline & Events

July 1, 2025

Official launch of the Lichenary project

The website went live, opening the door to the lichen enthusiast community.

July 30, 2025

First meeting with volunteers

An introductory session was held to guide new volunteers on how to photograph lichens and upload their observations.

August 1, 2025

First field trip – Buzău

Participants explored Crâng Park, practicing lichen identification and contributing to the project’s first local observations.

August 13, 2025

First field trip – Cluj

A visit to Central Park provided opportunities to observe lichens and assess air quality using visual indicators.

August 18, 2025

First field trip – Constanța

Urban observations were carried out, with a focus on species diversity and local environmental conditions.

August 21, 2025

First field trip – Bucharest

Explorers visited Herăstrău Park to collect data and test live uploads directly from the field.

September 7–16, 2025

Clean Air Campaign

We celebrated the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies and International Ozone Day with a series of educational and community activities.

September 11, 2025

Clean Air Webinar

We organized an online webinar on Google Meet with two special guests:
– Prof. Duraiswami (Savitribai Phule Pune University, India) explained what is in the air around us, which pollutants are most harmful, how they affect human health, and practical steps we can take for cleaner air.
– Prof. Schilling (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – KIT, Germany) spoke about CO₂’s role in climate change, how it can be safely captured and stored, and future opportunities for reducing emissions.
The session ended with questions from the audience and an interactive discussion on local actions for clean air.

September 12, 2025

Workshops & Field Trips

📍 Năvodari – Școala Gimnazială nr. 2 “Grigore Moisil”: Children learned about lichens through a kid-friendly presentation, colored eco-themed worksheets, and built bird feeders and plant pots from recycled bottles.
📍 Cluj – Parcul Detunata: Volunteers photographed lichens and contributed their observations to the Lichenary database.

September 14, 2025

Bucharest Field Trip

Volunteers explored the ParkLake area and documented local lichen species.

September 15, 2025

Buzău Workshops

Students attended a presentation about lichens as air-quality bioindicators, colored educational worksheets, and created bird feeders and plant pots from recycled materials while discussing recycling and environmental protection.