Luscious, damp, and leafy, mosses are miniscule rainforests in your backyard. A single boulder may be home to hundreds of subtly different species, all sheltering a variety of microscopic animals like tardigrades and rotifers. We often overlook these tiny plants due to their small stature, but each one is equipped with ingenious adaptations that allow them to thrive in some of the harshest conditions on earth; mosses can be found happily photosynthesizing on bare rock faces, exposed tree limbs, even nooks in sidewalks or roofs! Join Skye from Mainspring Conservation Trust for this gentle meander to discover the secrets of the mosses. We will discuss how they utilize their diverse toolbelt to make a home in the odd places in the forest, learn how to identify a few easy species that you can find almost anywhere, and appreciate these teensy creatures' clever beauty. Participants are encouraged to bring their own naturalist tools such as hand lenses/loupes, but magnifying devices will be available for those without their own.
The walk will begin at Locust Creek Trailhead, at 342 Old Cullowhee Road, Sylva. You can find directions HERE.
This walk is open to all ages but geared towards naturalists 10 years old and up.
About your guide: Skye Cahoon is the Conservation Outreach Director for Mainspring Conservation Trust. She earned her BS in Zoology from the University of Maine. After graduation, Skye spent time tracking blackbirds in New Hampshire, studying quail in the pine savannahs of Florida’s panhandle, monitoring songbird nests in the sagebrush scrub of Montana, and leading educational programs along the coast of Maine.
This event is free & open to all. Donations of $5-$15 are appreciated to support Mainspring’s efforts to protect the special creatures, plants, landscapes, and heritage of WNC. Donations and can be made via cash or check (to Mainspring Conservation Trust) at the event, or online before or after the walk.
This event is weather-dependent. Email Skye (scahoon@mainspringconserves.org) with any questions.
Limited to 15 participants.
