Guest Speaker Jennifer Doubt, “Conquering Moss-trophobia: A Supervised Encounter with Mosses and Some of their Closest Cousins”

In the plant world, mosses are “strong, sensitive” types. They cover enormous areas, and are tough enough to grow without soil or roots, or to survive long droughts and winters (heck, even glaciation!). They’re also individually tiny, and delicate enough to signal early warnings of environmental change. In the urban and natural spaces we know and love, mosses make themselves at home on soil, wood, rock and a huge array of human-made stand-ins. They do this whether or not we notice them or invite them. Demystifying mosses can help gardeners with questions such as:
– How can I tell if something is a moss, or if it’s a lichen or something else?
– How do the needs and ways of mosses differ from those of other plants?
– What main types of moss grow in my plant pots, yard or region?
– Are they a problem?

Please bring your questions, and come face-to-face with some of the most fascinating plants on the planet.

Jennifer Doubt, originally from Deep River, Ontario, is a botanist with the Canadian Museum of Nature. Along with the other fun, dedicated staff, students and volunteers that make up the Canadian Museum of Nature Botany team, she cares for a busy, growing archive of over one million preserved plants and lichens, and shares the collection far and wide for research and education. Every botanist obsesses more about some plants than others, and for Jennifer it’s all about the bryophytes, which she has documented and studied in the wild for over 25 years so far. And still, there is so much to learn!

All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede the introduction of the guest speaker.

Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice – once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the “members-only” version of this event.

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time. Please visit the website at https://www.richmondhillgardensociety.org/event-5589173 to register.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged