A lichen that was once abundant in East Anglia has been reintroduced to its historical habitat using bookbinding glue. The lichen, known as scrambled egg lichen, was common in the Breckland region of Norfolk and Suffolk, but it was last seen in 1994. Its extinction was attributed to habitat loss due to changes in farming practices, an increase in tree cover, and a drop in the number of rabbits.

To reverse this loss, the charity Plantlife has launched a conservation effort to transfer the lichen from the north of Cornwall, over 350 miles away. The process of moving the species, called translocation, involves removing small patches of the lichen and reattaching them to their new habitat using either water or bookbinding glue.

Dave Lamacraft, a lichen and bryophyte specialist at Plantlife, conducted experiments to determine the best type of glue to use. Unlike waterproof glues that are acidic and contain biocides, bookbinding glue has the correct pH level for the lichen and is also waterproof.

The conservation team removed 200 small pieces of the lichen from Cornwall, and 160 of them have been successfully transplanted into the chalky Breckland landscape. The translocation took place in a nature reserve owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which was created a few years ago to provide a suitable habitat for the lichen.

Lamacraft emphasized that habitat loss is a significant issue for the lichen’s survival. The species requires an ecosystem with minimal vegetation and open soil, which has been lost in many parts of the Breckland area due to changes in land use. If this conservation effort proves successful, Plantlife plans to replicate this habitat management on other sites to help restore the lichen population.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/28/rare-lichen-brought-back-to-east-anglia-with-help-of-bookbinding-glue