Moss Safari: Exploring the Secret Life in Moss

ASE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 SHORTLIST – SECONDARY CATEGORY

This wonderful book does an outstanding job of opening our eyes to the wealth of life in humble moss clumps. The book is highly informative but written in such an accessible and engaging manner that I can imagine teenagers who have been given it clamouring for access to a simple binocular microscope, so as to get exploring. Highly recommended. —Michael J. Reiss, Professor of Science Education, UCL

 

This remarkable book is an absolute must-have for any beginner microscopist. For those just stepping into the microscopic world, this book is not just helpful – it’s empowering. —Stefan Luketa, Amoeba Discovery

Take a journey through Moss Safari and embark on an extraordinary journey into the hidden world of moss. Just like adventurers seeking the Big Five animals on an African safari, we invite you to discover the wonders of the microscopic Big Five organisms that dwell within the mosses on our roofs, walls and pavements. Let’s go on a Moss Safari!

On your journey into this miniature universe, your guide will reveal the secrets of this hidden realm. Here, you’ll soon encounter those microscopic Big Five: the robust moss mites, the excitable nematodes, the adaptable rotifers, the resilient tardigrades and the elusive gastrotrichs. Each of these remarkable organisms possesses astonishing adaptations to survive in this surprisingly harsh habitat. As Andrew unveils the behaviour and ecology of these little-known organisms, you’ll find yourself captivated by their intriguing stories, shedding light on their significance in evolution, global ecosystems and even in medical breakthroughs. Each animal is the subject of cutting-edge scientific research and much of the science is not yet done.