A visit to Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity.
Located within Natural History Museum, the "Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity is for anyone with an interest in UK natural history. The center offers an identification and advisory service; a fully equipped visitor space for your own research; access to UK reference collections and UK natural history library; workshop and meeting room facilities; hands-on resources and nature surveys."
We made a reservation for a desk at 10:30am. It was our goal to learn more about mosses and fungi. There, we got help from Mark Spencer, a Botanist, who also used to be involved with London Wildlife Trust. For the Bryophytes specialist was not present, he provided the basic knowledge on mosses and fungi. He started off by informing us that mosses are quite diverse and are very difficult to identify. They help break down minerals; hold onto water; are the source of carbon sink. Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) are good bio-indicators: they are very sensitive to pollution and climate. British isles are designated as the internationally important region for bryophytes.
The introduction to bryophytes lasted quite a while and what we were told is only a drop in the ocean. In order to work with our site, Mark suggested we take a look at GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) and London Biodiversity Partnership. We left the place, overwhelmed. There is too much to be studied and discovered in the world of bryophytes and fungi.
Nevertheless, such put us in a different direction: we want to take part in building up database and conserving what is often thought as unwanted.
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