Sphagnum Moss Workshop
On the 28th of November we headed down to the Moorland Discovery Centre in Longshaw Estate for a training session on the identification of the ecologically important Sphagnum moss. Sphagnum is a genus of mosses which can be identified by the presence of a capitulum that is absent in other mosses. They can store large quantities of carbon, which helps reduce global warming and spread over large areas forming peat bogs that act as habitat for some rare species of plants and animals.
The training aimed at highlighting the importance of the moss and providing survey techniques as a part of the Big Moss Map, initiated by Moors for Future to document data on Sphagnum moss. A lecture was followed by a walk on the moors of Longshaw Estate. We spent the afternoon splashing into puddles of water to look for the different species found in the area and managed to get our hands on 6 different ones.
It was a great day in all and thanks to all the volunteers who came along. Also, a great big thank you to Tom, who ran the training session.
