Mosses get all the press, but lichens are the stars when it comes to effective natural navigation.
In the video above I look at the mosses and lichens on an ash tree to show how the lichens give a clear compass, but the message from mosses is much harder to read.
Mosses aren’t fussy enough, they’ll grow pretty much anywhere where there’s enough moisture (head here for more on how to read mosses for navigation.)
Lichens are much more sensitive. They need light, moisture, nutrients, pH and many more variables to be right before they’ll thrive. This leads to much more accurate signs and makes them more dependable as compasses for natural navigation.
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The Beginner’s Guide to Natural Navigation – Online Course