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Please register for this event on our website: https://www.mainspringconserves.org/events/moss-walk/. Space is limited, and RSVPing on Facebook does NOT represent an official registration. 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 for this hike through the ethereal Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 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 common 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 glasses and a digital magnifier will be available for those without their own.
This walk is geared towards beginner naturalists 12 and up, but experts are welcome to attend to share their own knowledge with the group! Younger children are welcome as well, but may not grasp all the information shared during this event. This 2 mile hike should take about 4 hours; we will being going slowly to take in the mosses in all their glory! This trail is rated as easy, but there are still some inclined sections and roots and rocks in the trail to avoid. Please bring water, plenty of warm layers, and any naturalist tools you may want.
We will meet at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest (5410 Joyce Kilmer Rd, Robbinsville, NC 28771) just before 11:00am on Saturday, February 22nd. We will be back at the trailhead at 3pm. See the map on our website for exact meeting location: https://www.mainspringconserves.org/events/moss-walk/
This walk is donation-based, with a suggested donation of $15 per person. Please give what you can; your support allows us to protect the special creatures, plants, landscapes, and heritage of WNC for all to enjoy! Donations can be made online (https://mainspringconserves.networkforgood.com/, 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. To register for this walk, fill out the form on our website: https://www.mainspringconserves.org/events/moss-walk/
Image by Tony Frates on Flickr.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
5410 Joyce Kilmer Rd, Robbinsville, NC 28771, United States
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