Master of Science in Forestry student Hanna R. Dorval thesis

Master of Science in Forestry student Hanna R. Dorval completed her thesis project by conducting a lichen inventory in Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, one of the areas natural heritage jewels. Lichens are small, quiet, motionless, and cryptic and rarely given the attention they deserve. Hanna’s persistence in beautiful but also remote locations in the northwest region of the province tracked 170 different species some of which are considered rare, imperiled, or vulnerable in Ontario. Additionally, 12 species collected from deep in Ouimet Canyon normally occupy arctic or alpine habitats much to the north, making them notable finds this far south in Ontario. Read more here.

Two published papers are the results of Hanna’s efforts:

Dorval, H.R., and R.T. McMullin. 2019. Lichens and allied fungi of Sandbar Lake Provincial Park, Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 133(3): 206–215. https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v133i3.2209

Dorval, H.R. 2020. Diversity and conservation status: Lichens of Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, Ontario. American Midland Naturalist (In Press).