Mossy Earth

It’s seagrass time! Our newest update from the muddy meadows in Scotland is here: 🌱🥾 https://lnkd.in/dt7xX6UN In this short vlog on our Mossy Earth Field Notes channel, get the latest on our seagrass ‘coring’ transplant trials - a method of transplanting seagrass and sediment together. We’re concentrating on finishing the trials this winter to reduce the biosecurity risk of spreading a marine non-native invasive species newly found in the area (one whose larvae inconspicuously could be transported in sediment). 🐚 Check this video out to learn more and see the team trudge around in the sludgy intertidal conditions doing transplants. We also give you a few other updates on how we’re building capacity for bigger things ahead!💪

🪚 New vlog on our Field Notes Channel: Removing non-native trees🌴  The work to fell eucalyptus trees is going well ⁨at our pilot project in Portugal’s Mira Basin! 🇵🇹 On dry days between the downpours, we’ve been out learning from our partners at ProNativa, who are steadily bringing down the towering eucalyptus trees along 1.75 km of riparian gallery. This is a tricky task in the steep valley, where we want to avoid harming any of the native ash and alder trees that are in and around the eucalyptus. Also in this update, you’ll get a tour around our new native plant nursery, which is looking great with plenty of young seedlings already emerging! 🪴 New team members, Joāo and Francisco will also take you on a kayak tour up the river, getting a view of the riparian gallery from the water.🚣♂️ Hope you enjoy watching this update as our work in the Mira Basin steps up a gear! There are a few other exciting developments happening under the hood too, so keep your eyes peeled for more news next month. 📺 https://lnkd.in/dfn4wzhz 🔗 #mossyearth #portugal #mirabasin

🎥 New video - Why we painted 1329 snails and released them on a wild island 🐌 🏝 Back in November we released more than a thousand tiny snails on a remote island in the Desertas archipelago in the North Atlantic. This was the first release as part of an international collaboration aimed at saving 4 neglected snail species from slipping into extinction. It’s taken a lot of sweat and hard work by everyone involved to get to this milestone so we’re really excited to share the latest chapter in this story over on our main YouTube channel! 📺 https://lnkd.in/ezifuS5r 🔗 We have also released an extended edit of the releases over on our Field Notes channel. https://lnkd.in/eKns3zfc #mossyearth #desertasislands #saveendemicspecies

Want to work for us? Applications are closing soon for two new roles in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 🤝 Be a central piece in our efforts to engage and galvanise the community in restoring vital seagrass meadows in the firths around the Black Isle. This is a great opportunity to lead on programmes aimed at getting people actively involved in nature’s recovery in a role that gets you out in the field regularly! You will also play a key role in managing project funding to ensure we efficiently deliver the planting of 4.2 ha of intertidal seagrass meadows over the next three years. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿🌱 We’re also looking for a technical specialist to lead on our ambitious seagrass planting goals, along with associated data collection and analysis. This person will be fundamental in managing our seagrass restoration fieldwork and measuring the project’s impact on biodiversity. If either of these positions seem a good fit for you, we’d love to receive your application! 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵. Check our jobs page for more details on how to apply - https://lnkd.in/dbVjrUKt These roles are supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF), an initiative supported by the Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland Directorate, NatureScot and Crown Estate Scotland. #mossyearth #scotland #rewilding #poweredbySMEEF

🎥 In a new vlog from our snail rescue project on our Field Notes channel‬, we save a stranded baby monk seal 🦭 This all happened during an expedition to the Desertas islands, where we’ve been working with a team of dedicated conservationists to save 4 species of critically endangered snails from extinction. On a down day between searches for the snails (which were needed to start a captive breeding programme), our biologist, Tiago, heard the cries of a pup monk seal stranded on some rocks. Check out this vlog to see the team attempt a rescue mission to reunite the pup with its colony: https://lnkd.in/dHZKptVW More about Monk seals 🦭 The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s rarest marine mammals, with fewer than 600 left. As top predators, they help keep marine ecosystems balanced. Habitat loss and human threats pushed them to the brink of extinction. Protecting them means protecting our oceans! There will be more on this project coming in the days, so stay tuned!

𝗪𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝟰.𝟮 𝗵𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀! 🌊🌱✨ We have some very exciting news to share… We have been awarded £544,558.76 of funding to plant 4.2 hectares of seagrass meadow in the Scottish Highlands! Following extensive baseline and investigative surveys, as well as small seagrass translocation trials undertaken in 2024 supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), managed by NatureScot, the delivery of planting 4.2 hectares of intertidal seagrass meadow over three years will be supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF), an initiative supported by the Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland Directorate, NatureScot and Crown Estate Scotland. The vision of Wilder Firths (Linneachan nas Fhiadhaiche), formerly known as Cromarty Seascape, is for the firths surrounding the Black Isle to be home to a resilient mosaic of biogenic habitats that support diverse and thriving ecosystems. Central to achieving and sustaining this vision are local communities that are connected to and invested in their coastal environment. Historically overlooked in the area, seagrass meadows are one of the focus habitats of Wilder Firths alongside native oyster reefs. Seagrass species in the area are dwarf eelgrass, common eelgrass and beaked tasselweed. As well as collecting and planting seeds with other members of the local community, our team will trial more experimental approaches, such as transplanting seagrass with sediment (coring) and mechanised seed collection and planting. Small-scale trials of intertidal seagrass coring, a method previously used by Restoration Forth, indicate that the method could be an effective way to restore seagrass meadows when compared with other methods, such as seeding or transplanting bare-root seagrass plants. 💡Want to be part of the team delivering this project? There is still time to apply! Applications close at midnight on the 7th of March. 🚀 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dbVjrUKt #mossyearth #poweredbySMEEF

🦫 River Rewilding: new leaky dams installed! We're happy to share some exciting progress updates on our project to restore fish spawning tributaries and riparian habitat in the River Chew catchment in the UK, led by our partners at the Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART). Since the project began back in June 2023, we’ve come a long way in restoring the Bathford Brook and Candlestick Brook. This work has aimed to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and create thriving habitats for aquatic species in these streams! 🐟 Habitat restoration and spawning surveys In December 2024 and January 2025, BART conducted redd surveys across 4 km of watercourses. Two redds, gravel nests created by spawning trout, were identified on the Candlestick Stream. These are great indicators of successful spawning events, and also of the improved habitat conditions created for migratory fish species (such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout). By conducting these redds surveys, it is possible for us to track the health of fish populations, while also measuring the impact of previous restoration efforts. 🪵 River Condition Assessments (RCA) According to our partners, the post-restoration RCAs on both the Candlestick Stream and Bathford Brook revealed significant improvements. At the Candlestick Stream, the tree features and brushwood berms added during restoration boosted the habitat quality, pushing RCA scores from moderate to a fairly good status. At Bathford Brook, the channel bed features and hydraulic diversity improved thanks to the berms, which has also helped to reduce sedimentation. And, although sedimentation remains a concern, these early results suggest that continued geomorphological changes will further improve the river’s condition over time. 🪰 Invertebrate survey Macro-invertebrate sampling was also conducted post-restoration, with results pending analysis. These samples will provide additional insights into the ecological health of the streams. 🦫 Recent interventions In the last few weeks, over 1.2 km of the stream (both at Candlestick and Bathford Brook) was enhanced with large wood structures, along with 200 meters of leaky dams. These features will improve flow diversity, create valuable habitat for fish and invertebrates, clean gravels for spawning, and help manage floodwaters by slowing the flow and storing silt on the floodplain. We’re thrilled with these results, and look forward to seeing this project develop further, as our work is far from over! We look forward to continuing our partnership with BART, and making a lasting difference for the Chew Tributary and its surrounding ecosystems. We’ll keep you updated along the way! 📸 Photo credit: Eliot Ely

🌿Our latest vlog: How we're developing our rainforest headquarters is out now! 🇪🇨 https://lnkd.in/d6gXPdWw A lot is happening as we kick off several new projects at once at our rainforest hub: ✨ Welcoming Our First Volunteers Our first two volunteers will join us for 5 months to help run an education programme focused on teaching English and organising an environmental club for local children. 📚🌱  🏡A New Meeting Space We built a beautiful new meeting space using bamboo, palm wood & Panama hat palm leaves—crafted traditionally with no nails! This new structure will allow us to host larger groups for English lessons and educational activities. We also decided to install some solar panels to give us some energy autonomy. A huge shoutout to Fredy & the team for making it happen! 👏 👩🍳 Empowering Local Women Last January, we held our second cooking workshop for local women, led by professional chef Eric Condo. Six women from the 12 de Febrero community continued refining their culinary skills and are now testing their dishes on our volunteers and team. With very few work opportunities for women in the area, we’re glad we can support their journey toward financial independence. 🍽️💪 🐍 Surprise Guest in the Volunteer House A baby boa constrictor paid us a visit… nature always keeps us on our toes!😆 All of this work is only possible thanks to our dedicated members. If you are not a member yet, please consider joining us at mossy.earth. 🌍💙 #mossyearth #YasuniProject #amazonrainforest #Ecuador

📣 We are looking for a Seagrass Officer and a Community & Funding Officer in Scotland! 🚨 Our marine enhancement initiative in the Scottish Highlands called Wilder Firths (Linneachan nas Fhiadhaiche), formerly Cromarty Seascape, is on the hunt for a Seagrass Officer and Community & Funding Officer. Could you fit one of these roles? Wilder Firth’s vision is for the firths surrounding the Black Isle to be home to a resilient mosaic of biogenic habitats that support diverse and thriving ecosystems. Central to achieving and sustaining this vision are local communities that are connected to and invested in their coastal environment. These three-year roles will be supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) and focus on delivering seagrass restoration. To view the job descriptions and apply please use the forms below. Applications close on Friday the 7th of March, 2025. 🔗 Seagrass Officer: https://lnkd.in/dXNkY5j3 🔗 Community & Funding Officer: https://lnkd.in/dJMkaaRH

🌳 Kicking Off Our Eucalyptus Removal Project 🇵🇹 Big news! We’ve officially started cutting down eucalyptus at our pilot plot in the Mira basin, marking the first stage of the removal work step in our Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project. 🪚✨ In Portugal, there are an estimated 400,000 hectares of abandoned eucalyptus plantations, which represent a major ecological challenge. These trees native to the Australian continent, provide little ecological value, increase wildfire risk, and are a financial burden to landowners. 🔥💰 Abandoned eucalyptus plantations are also costly to dismantle, often leading to either expensive, soil-damaging stump removal or total neglect, so we’re pioneering a cost-effective, ecologically sound way to restore these lands to native forests. Our pilot plot is a testing ground for innovative forestry techniques, helping us develop a scalable rewilding method that can be shared and expanded! To launch this work, we partnered with ProNativa, a local closer-to-nature forestry company. Their team is already on the ground, starting with the priority area along the river, where towering eucalyptus trees are suffocating native riparian species. We are grateful for their expertise, as they work with great care to minimize disturbance to the soil and native vegetation while tackling this difficult extraction process and we are optimistic that the most challenging removals will be completed before summer. 🤞 Meanwhile, our Mira basin team is growing up, with two valuable new members! They are learning from ProNativa to continue the work on the area later once all eucalyptus trees are removed and will focus on controlling stump resprouting and assisting natural regeneration across the site. 🌿 Follow along as we try to bring the native Mediterranean forest back to this area 👉mossy.earth! 🌍💚 #mossyearth #mirabasin #ecologicalrestoration #portugal