When: June 17, 2025 @ 10:00 am
Learn big facts about some of the tiniest plants!
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 2-hour 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.
This walk is free and open to naturalists of all knowledge levels, though donations are appreciated to support Mainspring’s efforts to protect the the special creatures, plants, landscapes, and heritage of WNC for all to enjoy. Suggested donation is $5-$15 and can can be made online (select “upcoming event” from the dropdown box), or by cash or check at the event.
This event is weather-dependent. Please leave pets at home. Email Skye ([email protected]) with any questions. Click here to register through the Friends of the Jackson County Greenway.
Meet your teacher!
As Mainspring’s Conservation Outreach Director, Skye Cahoon inspires people to connect with their local landscape and value the conservation efforts that protect it. As a kid, she could often be found climbing trees, hunting for salamanders, or chasing fish at her local swimming hole. Her passion for nature grew with her, and in 2020 she earned her Zoology B.S. from the University of Maine. Integrating her experience in wildlife research with her excitement about the natural world, Skye now strives to make science fun and accessible. She leads a variety of educational programs here at Mainspring, and enjoys continuing to learn about the creatures that call the Southern Appalachians home.
