Visitors joining us on Saturday 9th March got the chance to take part in an informative guided walk on the subject of bryophytes.
The word bryophytes is used as a collective term for mosses and liverworts that have no internal vessels. They extract all they need from the atmosphere, so generally are found in damp conditions.
They're all around us in the natural world, and there is an incredible variety to be found in the British Isles. We set out to identify just a few of the 1200+ recorded species.
You really don't have to travel far to find them. Our walk started right by the visitor centre where our expert guide was able to talk us through a handful of different species within a distance of just a few metres.
If you've never looked in detail at a moss or liverwort before, get yourself a hand lens (from £5) and be amazed. It will reveal intricate detail that's been around you going unnoticed as you go about your day to day business. Personally, I found it fascinating and I often lagged at the back of the group so I could get photographs to share some of their amazing diversity and structure with you.
Firstly, this picture shows Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga). When you examine this one closely it has differently shaped leaves on its stem to those on its branches (the former having a wider base). This moss is one of the commonest in lowland Britain and can often be found carpeting logs, branches and turf.
You'll notice a visible difference between that and the next picture which illustrates Bifid Crestwort (Lophocolea bidentata).
It has bi-lobed leaves and is probably the commonest leafy liverwort we have in the British Isles.
Finally for now, our third picture again shows something very different. Think of this one as looking a bit like a toilet brush.
For those who like to name things though, its common name is Bank Haircap (Polytrichum formosum). It's shoots appear in loose tufts that grow to 5-10 cm tall with leaves up to 1 cm long. It is typical of deciduous woodlands.
We identified many more on the walk, and even brought some back to look at under a microscope which revealed even more minute detail.
Naming these things won't interest everyone. You certainly don't have to do that to appreciate them. What you can appreciate though if you stop to look, is just how much diversity there is all around you, waiting to be discovered.