Friday 3rd October.
An Introduction to Bryophytes workshop for DFG members.
If you thought the winter months were the start of a lean time for botanists, think again! There’s a significant but inexplicably overlooked group of small, but perfectly formed plants that could rescue you from winter gloom – mosses and liverworts! With over 450 spp. recorded in Dorset, there’s more than enough for everyone. Bryophytes are at their best in the cool and damp seasons, so ideal as a botanist’s winter alternative. With this introductory day in early autumn, in the bryophyte-rich Kingcombe NNR, and armed with a hand lens, you’ll be all set for several months of botanical revelation.
The day will be a mix of informal teaching and examination of specimens. We’ll be based at DWT’s Kingcombe Centre, so have comfortable cover if it’s wet. Ideally, we can spend some time inside, with collected samples and some information about mosses, and also take a short walk in the nearby nature reserve to see bryophytes in their habitats. So, with a view to spending some time outside, unless it’s awful, come prepared for the weather and wet ground conditions. The aim for the day will be to get a basic understanding of bryophytes, and to see a few examples with identification tips, rather than amassing a long list of species; there’s all winter for that.
When: 10am – 4pm.
Leader: Jim White, Robin Walls and Steve Masters.
Meeting point: The Kingcombe centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester. Grid ref.: SY 554319905; What 3 words /// shook.ogre.mime; Postcode: DT2 0EQ. Park in the overspill parking at Pound Cottage, and from there walk down through the garden to Swallow Barn. You reach the entrance to Pound Cottage ca 100m before the main Centre entrance, coming from Toller. If you need to park in the main car park the entrance is at What 3 words ///fattening.couple.condensed.
Booking essential via: dorsetfloragroupprogramme@yahoo.com. Cost: £10. 50% of takings will be donated to the Dorset Wildlife Trust
We’ll aim to take our lunch break at the Centre. Bring a packed lunch or buy lunch/refreshments at the excellent Centre Café.
Dorset Environmental Records Centre 