21st October has been designated as National Moss Day 2024. There are no explicit plans to publicise the day and organise events at a national level as we did last year, but it is hoped that individuals and local groups will try to schedule meetings for this weekend, and perhaps other organisations who launched moss trails and ran awareness days might be persuaded to promote moss-related activities on this date.
Introduction to Bryophytes
If you’ve ever been fascinated by the colourful and multi-textured array of mosses on a stone wall, stony ground or woodland floor, and wondered what they all are, then this section is for you. The Learning area of the website will introduce you to bryophytes and get you started identifying some of the common species around where you live.
Start here
Explore your area
…without even leaving the house. Many knowledgeable and experienced BBS members have contributed to the vice-county pages, describing what can be found in their local areas and giving hints and tips on places to visit. Read all about your vice-county before you head out.
Launch the Vice-county explorer
Species Finder
The Species Finder is your gateway to a wealth of information about the mosses, liverworts and hornworts to be found in the UK. Ultimately, we hope to include a page dedicated to each species, with identification tips, up-to-date distribution information, links to useful resources and an image gallery showing a range of images including habitat photos, close-ups and microscope images.
Browse our Species pages
The common name for this moss is Yellow-bud Grimmia, presumably because of the yellowish clusters of gemmae on many of the shoot tips (which you might be able to make out on the left side of this cushion). This photo was taken during the Ben Lawers meeting in autumn 2023, on a loch-side boulder at Coire nan Cat – a typical habitat for this species.
Learn MoreWe have a full programme of events at both national and local levels. Please click the link below for details.
See all our upcoming eventsCLBG: Lodore Falls, Borrowdale
Wild Flower Society Meeting Autumn 2024: Shropshire
The BBS has been invited to participate in a Wild Flower Society meeting in Shropshire. The meeting is being led by Matt Jones and is to be an Autumn Extravaganza looking at flowering plants, bryophytes and fungi. Booking is essential (see details).
Read more about this event and register
