You Aren’t Paying Enough Attention to Moss | Untold Earth

Mosses were among the first land plants to evolve out of the ocean roughly 450 million years ago. They can grow anywhere, from the world’s harshest landscapes to cracks in the sidewalk. This episode of Untold Earth will get you up close and personal with the famed mosses of the Hoh Rainforest in Washington State to understand their vital role in this ecosystem—and their potential to offer a glimpse into our planet’s future.

Explore the seeming impossibilities behind our planet’s strangest, most unique natural wonders in Untold Earth, a new series from Atlas Obscura, in partnership with Nature and PBS Digital Studios. From fragile, untouched ecosystems to familiar but unexplained occurrences in our own backyards, this series chases insight into natural phenomena through the voices of those who know them best.