This is the first in a series of papers in which we discuss lichens growing on rocks at the Van Andel Creation Research Center (VACRC), Chino Valley, Arizona. We introduce lichens in general, dealing with their nature, size, growth rate, morphology, distribution, physiology, taxonomy, reproduction, and laboratory growth in this paper. We also analyze aspects of the origin of lichens from both the creationist and macroevolutionary perspectives.