Some of the specimens were collected from art patron (and SFMOMA board member) Steve Oliver's sculpture ranch in Sonoma. The landscape architects thought it would be auspicious to start with some lichen that was already "art-friendly." Soon after they collected the samples, they heard that a crew had spent years cleaning lichen off Mt. Rushmore—"Oh man, we missed that opportunity!" lamented Milliken. Photo 4 of 12 in World's First Lichen Garden? by Jaime Gillin

World's First Lichen Garden?

4 of 12

Some of the specimens were collected from art patron (and SFMOMA board member) Steve Oliver's sculpture ranch in Sonoma. The landscape architects thought it would be auspicious to start with some lichen that was already "art-friendly." Soon after they collected the samples, they heard that a crew had spent years cleaning lichen off Mt. Rushmore—"Oh man, we missed that opportunity!" lamented Milliken.