Email
PrintGathering Moss for the Future
"Mossin' Annie" launches a groundbreaking project at a West Asheville school
Kids at RMCS in West Asheville proudly display their moss garden
courtesy of Annie Martin
Installing what she believes is the "first moss learning garden in America," "Mossin' Annie" Martin has helped the kids at Rainbow Mountain Children's School in West Asheville fill in their green space with a velvety carpet of transplanted loveliness. In so doing, "they learn the value of native plants, especially mosses, conservation and land stewardship ... lessons that will guide them in making a better world for themselves," says Martin.
The bryophyte crusader rescues threatened spreads of WNC mosses from development and propagates them into both residential and public landscaping. A frequent lecturer at garden centers and universities, the Buncombe County native is a charismatic presence who has caught the attention of numerous media outlets (WLOS featured the Rainbow Mountain moss garden on its "Never Stop Learning" segment).
As far as her most recent success story goes, Martin gives most of the credit to the kids. "The energy and synergy of these 3rd graders, combined with incredible teamwork and creativity, were as amazing as the mossy result."
