Zachary Muscavitch joined the Lewis and Goffinet lab to pursue his interests in the lichen symbiosis, with a focus on both symbionts, the green alga and the fungus. By December he designed a project focused on Niebla and Vermilacinia, endemic to Western North America, conducted preliminary fieldwork in California and generated encouraging data to further develop his project. He is planning on sampling populations in Baja California, Mexico. His project is now supported by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Congratulations Zach, and let’s hope you can travel to this Niebla and Vermilacinia hotspot.