main content NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’ Features Moss Week

Lewis & Clark’s annual Moss Appreciation Week received national attention when it was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition on February 14. With nearly 14 million listeners, Morning Edition draws public radio’s largest audience.

The program detailed the weeklong event—a mix of scientific inquiry and lighthearted celebration—that invites the campus community to take a closer look at moss, an ancient plant often overlooked in everyday life. NPR’s coverage provided an informative look at the week’s many activities, which included a Moss Petting Zoo, a Moss and Lichen Walk, an Ear Forest installation titled “Moss in Many Languages,” and the much-anticipated Gastropod Derby. Jesse Miller, lead botanist at the Washington Natural Heritage Program, delivered the keynote lecture, “Maintaining Lichen Diversity in an Era of Global Change.”

Moss Week is produced by L&C’s Natural History Club, which is more than 50 members strong and welcomes students of any major. There are no requirements, and no prior knowledge of natural history is needed. Parvaneh Abbaspour, science and data services librarian in Watzek and the club’s advisor, describes Moss Week as “a labor of love”—which seems particularly appropriate given that NPR’s episode aired on Valentine’s Day.

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