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The Cast and Crew

Hi, I’m Jason Hollinger, the webmaster and developer of this site. Trevor Goward and I originally conceived of these pages as a kind of background to and appendix for Trevor’s upcoming opus Ways of Enlichenment (with Andy MacKinnon). But as with many such projects, it has expanded and taken on a life of its own.

We would like to invite our readers–lichenologists or not–to join us. Literally. The content of much of this site is dynamically created–we can easily give you space to post your own content such as articles, images, discussion, etc. Please share your ideas with us, and let’s see what we can do together.

If you are interested in learning more about the site, you can learn more here. All of the code–both the website itself and all the GIS software we used to generate our maps–is open source, some of which has already been published on development forums in the form of Rails plugins. Developers are, of course, always welcome.

We have many people to thank for contributing time and effort to this website–all of whom will also appear as contributors to the first volume of Ways. Some provided data, while others combed through hundreds of papers, and others still spent the equivalent weeks in the field making sure the lines we’ve drawn on our maps correspond to something like reality. Trevor and I of course take ultimate responsibility for any inaccuracies in the content and functionality of this website. Please let us know what you think of it. We’d love feedback of all types.

-Jason

Trevor Goward

Trevor Goward is a naturalist who thinks a lot about lichens. He makes his home in British Columbia’s Clearwater Valley, snug against the wilderness stronghold of Wells Gray Provincial Park. Here at “Edgewood” he reads, writes, gardens, paddles in season, skis in some other season, consults, mentors, gives field courses, and, together with Orca (also pictured), follows deer trails wherever they happen to lead. Lately Trevor has been reconfiguring Edgewood to a non-profit research centre and place of learning for up-and-coming naturalists, a.k.a. the Wells Gray Wilderness Institute. Field researchers are always welcome. Also welcome at Edgewood are students and naturalists willing to pitch in around the house and yard in exchange for whatever Trevor might have to offer. Contact me at tgoward@interchange.ubc.ca.

Andy MacKinnon

Andy MacKinnon is a professional biologist and professional forester currently working as a forest ecologist for the BC Forest Service, Coast Region. His research interests and activities include: ecosystem classification and mapping; structure, composition and dynamics of coastal old-growth forests; and BC-s native plants, fungi and lichens. Andy is co-author of a number of plant guides for western Canada and the US Pacific Northwest, sometimes (when he-s really, really lucky) working with Trevor. You can contact Andy at andy.mackinnon@gov.bc.ca.

Jason Hollinger

That’s me. I was trained in physics and math, and made a living programming for the finance industry for nearly seven years before “retiring” early so that I might wander the earth learning as much as I can about things that interest me. Which is just about everything. I am also an active developer for the popular Mushroom Observer website. And you can visit my home page. My personal email address is jasonphollinger@yahoo.com.

Tim Wheeler

Tim Wheeler is a geologist, lichenologist, mycologist and nature photographer who lives outside of Arlee Montana in the shadow of the Mission Mountains. He is currently working on the lichens of the Pacific Northwest both large and small, the lichens of the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest in southern Chile, and the Macrofungi of Montana. His list of photos increases daily; so don’t hesitate to contact him if you need help with something. He can be reached at timothybwheeler@gmail.com.

Toby Spribille

Toby Spribille has divided his time between over the last several years between western North America and Germany, and will soon be joining the lichen systematics group at the University of Graz, Austria. His research emphasis is floristics and systematics of lichens of western North America and the North Pacific region. He can be reached at tspribi@gwdg.de.

Ken Wright

Ken’s unquenchable fascination for the natural world goes back to childhood. His passion became occupation and he has been engaged in numerous bird and lichen-related field research projects that have taken him throughout British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, and Alaska. During winter he travels to South America and Antarctica where he is a naturalist on board a small cruise ship. Whether abroad or at home, he enjoys hiking, cycling, skiing and photographing nature. Ken resides in Lillooet, British Columbia. He can be contacted at kwright2008@gmail.com.

Curtis Bjork

Curtis is a lichenologist and botanist who’s early interest in the plants of his childhood stomping-grounds near Spokane, Washington led to a broad interest in the plants and lichens of eastern Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. He currenly works for Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. in Surrey BC, and publishes on a variety of plant and lichen topics. His pastimes include skiing, hiking, and cooking.

Gy Ovenden

Gy Ovenden is an ecologist who lives in Clearwater. Gy gained a doctorate in zoology from the University of Sheffield, UK before working as a field botanist and conservation biologist. After many years as an adviser for the UK government on the conservation of biodiversity he decided to come and live amongst some of the best of it in Wells Gray Country, British Columbia. Gy and his wife Joanne run Discover Wells Gray–an interpretive and adventure hiking business discoverwellsgray.com. Gy also works as a freelance environmental consultant and general ranch hand on their acreage. Contact Gy at gy.ovenden@gmail.com.

Derek Woods

Derek Woods is currently doing graduate work in literature at the University of British Columbia. He met Trevor on Haida Gwaii in 2003, and has never looked at a lichen the same way since. He spends his summers exploring the vastnesses of British Columbia, and hopes to continue to do so, right down to its last thallic detail.