Due to its position on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean, the west of Ireland has a humid temperate climate, which is perfect for the growth of a rich and unique range of plants, especially mosses, liverworts and ferns, many of which have more affinities to the Tropics than to Europe. These species are a highly important component of the special habitats found here, including lust temperate rainforests and cool north-facing mountain slopes. This talk will shine a light on this often overlooked, but fascinating, group of species.

In August 2020, ecologist, Dr. Rory Hodd published a paper in the Journal of British and Irish Botany detailing his discovery of a tiny fern, Stenogrammitis myosuroides in a remote area of Killarney National Park. This was the first time that this species of fern had been detected in Europe, the only other known locations that this little plant can be found are in neo-tropical cloud-forests of Jamaica and Cuba.

 This event will feature a screening of Like a Mouse, an experimental short documentary by Michael Holly & Mieke Vanmechelen following Dr. Hodd’s discovery, against the backdrop of an area of natural conservation that is under threat from the pressures of an unstable, globalised ecology.