This will be a beginning level seminar. Learn to appreciate some of the "little things" that our forests depend upon---the class of the plant kingdom called Bryophytes. The luxuriance of the greenery that covers our forest floors, trees, logs, and rocks, as well as their diversity in form inevitably captures the interest of a naturalist. Find out what mosses and liverworts are, learn some basic identification skills, and discover their importance to the forests and mountainsides. We will provide you with some samples of some of the most common mosses and liverworts. Bring an egg carton or small plastic divided container for your samples. Also bring a hand lens (6x or 10x) if you have one. We will be providing labels and handouts for you to take home to further your studies at home and on the trail.

Helpful textbooks:

"Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast" by Pojar and MacKinnon

"Gathering Moss-A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Cindy Luksus and Lynn Graf are co-leading this seminar/field trip. Cindy will talk about Bryophytes their make up and habitat. Lynn will introduce you to 10-12 of the most common bryophytes and talk about their indentifying characteristics.

Signing up for this seminar also signs you up for an associated field trip to take place on 3/23/2013 (Sat). The FT will take place from 10am-3pm at Twin Falls State Park in North Bend.