Mosses (and wildlife) galore in the sunshine at Challacombe Farm
On a glorious Sunday in June, the Art and Energy team headed to Challacombe Farm on Dartmoor for an afternoon of mosses, wildlife, creativity plus tea and cake in the sunshine!
We were delighted to be joined by Andrew Branson, a dedicated bryologist and volunteer recorder with The British Bryological Society, who generously shared his extensive knowledge of Dartmoor’s mosses and liverworts, as well as other intriguing botanical finds that captivated our interest.
Challacombe’s farmers, Naomi and Mark were on hand to give us a tour of their special piece of Dartmoor which they farm with wildlife and the environment at the heart of what they do. Our route took in meadows and Rhos pasture - marshy grassland, which supports many species of mosses including sphagnum plus sundews, devil’s bit scabious and orchid species. Ponds and scrapes have been created on the farm to encourage water to slow down and wetland areas to form where sphagnum mosses with grow and capture carbon.
We were welcomed into the farmyard to rest our legs and enjoy tea and cake and to watch the swallows with a superb view.
The Mossy Carpet was on display and everyone who joined us was encouraged to make a moss inspired woolly pompom to add to the artwork, messages could be recorded on the Tardigrade telephone sharing tiny actions for a brighter greener future.
Our thanks to Naomi and Mark at Challacombe Farm for a warm welcome. Thank you to Andrew Branson for sharing his knowledge with us all. Finally, grateful thanks to our funder for allowing us to offer this event free of charge - Devon Environment Foundation.
