When: November 15, 2024 @ 3:00 pm

This event has been cancelled due to low interest. We’d love for you to join our Saturday walk in Franklin if you are interested!

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 easy stroll through Welch Farm Preserve 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 1 mile walk should take about 1.5-2 hours and is over mostly level, natural surface ground. There are a few stepping hazards, including divots in the path and roots. Please bring water, an extra layer, and sun protection.

We will meet in the Welch Farm parking lot in Andrews, off the Nantahala Scenic Byway (Rt 74/129/19), just before 3:00pm. The entrance to the parking lot is a little less than 1/2 mile east of the intersection with Marble Plant Rd, on the eastbound side of the highway. See the map below for exact location.

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 (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 below.

Meet your teacher!

As Mainspring’s Conservation Outreach Associate, 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 for the natural world, Skye now strives to make science exciting and accessible. She leads a variety of educational programs here at Mainspring, and some of her favorite topics are fungi and mosses.

Please treat your registration as a formal ticket. Read this event description thoroughly and ensure that the date, time, and location work for your schedule. We monitor event sign-ups, and restrict group size to ensure you have a quality experience out in the woods with us. If you register and can no longer attend, email Skye at [email protected]. Thank you! 

This event has been cancelled due to low interest. We’d love for you to join our Saturday walk in Franklin instead!