At Kew Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lichens quietly colonise stone walls, monuments, and glasshouse structures. Their subtle growth adds beauty and colour, yet over time, they can slowly weather delicate surfaces. Kew’s lichenologists study these organisms to understand how they interact with historic materials — how fungal filaments penetrate stone, how pigments change surface chemistry, and how moisture cycles influence decay. This research helps balance heritage conservation with natural ecology, revealing lichens not as simple destroyers, but as storytellers of time, air, and place. 

Lichens are living indicators of air quality. At Kew Gardens, lichenologists use detailed species checklists and long-term monitoring to study how nitrogen and pollution affect lichen diversity and health. Sensitive lichens disappear as nitrogen levels rise, while tolerant species expand — offering a natural record of changing air conditions. By analysing species distribution, growth forms, and chemistry, researchers at Kew track urban air trends, link lichen vitality to ecosystem resilience, and support conservation of clean-air habitats within this UNESCO World Heritage landscape. 

Lichens are key indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem health. At Kew Gardens, lichenologists study and identify species growing on trees, rocks, and soil, revealing the hidden diversity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Understanding where and how lichens grow helps scientists track environmental changes, conserve rare or sensitive species, and maintain ecological balance. Tree bark hosts leafy and shrubby forms, rocks harbour crusty species, and soils support tiny pioneering lichens — each contributing to habitat complexity. Accurate identification and monitoring are essential for protecting these remarkable organisms and the environments they enrich. 

Lichens may seem small, but they reveal Kew Gardens’ hidden beauty and ecological richness. Educational programs introduce visitors to their fascinating forms, colours, and growth on trees, rocks, and soil. Learning to identify lichens helps people appreciate their role in clean air, biodiversity, and ecosystem health. Kew’s lichen education highlights how these subtle organisms connect nature, history, and science, inspiring curiosity and conservation awareness among all ages. 

Lichen genomics reveals how fungal and algal partners form resilient symbioses, enabling survival in extreme environments. Advances in long-read sequencing and metagenomics now allow researchers to disentangle these complex, multi-organism genomes, uncovering pathways for stress tolerance, secondary metabolite production, and evolutionary diversification. At Kew, world-class fungal collections, the Jodrell Laboratory’s genomic capacity, and global research networks create a unique foundation for advancing lichen genomics. Integrating genome skimming of fungarium specimens, sequencing of threatened taxa, and environmental DNA studies would position Kew as a leader in understanding lichen biodiversity and its conservation relevance in a rapidly changing world.