_(cropped).jpg)
Hanging out with botanists in the field is a great way to learn more about plants and their identification. I recently spent a few days with some awesome botanists in Tennessee at the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smoky Mountains National Park.
We looked at wildflowers, trees, shrubs, ferns, and of course mosses. There are also walks for the animal-lovers focusing on salamanders, wild hogs, birds, and bears. A funny anecdote is that the bear walks hardly ever see bears, though you will learn a lot about them on the walk. You are more likely to see a bear driving to a walk or on a walk about wildflowers. That is one of the reasons I like studying plants. They don't move on the landscape nearly as fast.
Next year's Pilgrimage will be held April 11-15, 2017. But if you can't wait until next year to get out into the field to learn some mosses there are courses and forays happening this summer and fall in Maine, Ohio, and Quebec.
We looked at wildflowers, trees, shrubs, ferns, and of course mosses. There are also walks for the animal-lovers focusing on salamanders, wild hogs, birds, and bears. A funny anecdote is that the bear walks hardly ever see bears, though you will learn a lot about them on the walk. You are more likely to see a bear driving to a walk or on a walk about wildflowers. That is one of the reasons I like studying plants. They don't move on the landscape nearly as fast.
Next year's Pilgrimage will be held April 11-15, 2017. But if you can't wait until next year to get out into the field to learn some mosses there are courses and forays happening this summer and fall in Maine, Ohio, and Quebec.
For more information on these and other outdoor moss events check out this updated list. If you know of any others I should add to the list drop a message in the comments and I will add it on.