A new way of seeing the natural world around us is gaining traction.
Illuminating biofluorescence with UV torches opens up a whole new vista of wonder.
Unlike bioluminescence, which is when an organism generates its own visible light via a chemical reaction, biofluorescence is the absorption of light by living organisms who then emit it as bright blues, greens, reds and yellows. Ultraviolet light has wavelengths shorter than those detectable by the human eye but UV torches bring it into our vision. The scientific world is on a journey of discovery about biofluorescent communication.
With a description from a recent biofluorescent walk one participant wrote: “But the highlight tonight is the fungi. Beneath trees on the field edge, russulas show up bright lemon yellow. A bracket fungus, popularly known as artist’s conk, is brown with a creamy underside by day. Now, under our UV torches, it shows up bright duck-egg blue with a blood-red cap.”
