Met a retired botanist at Powell's Books last weekend

He spent 20 minutes explaining how he used to identify rare mosses by smell alone near Mount Hood. Has anyone else met someone who had a weird wild skill like that from their plant work?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer78229d ago

My plant identification skills top out at "yes that is definitely a green thing with leaves." A botanist with a super sniffer sounds like a Pokémon evolution I'll never reach. Did he give you any tips on how to train your nose for moss hunting?

piperbailey29d ago

Three hours of sniffing dirt in one afternoon changed my mind honestly. @spencer782 the guy told me to start with fresh wet moss versus dry crunchy moss because the smell differences are way more obvious. Rub a pinch between your fingers and breathe deep through your nose not your mouth. Still can't tell you species but I can at least tell you if it's alive or dead now.

jade51729d ago

@spencer782 I feel you, my plant game is basically the same, but that sniffing trick actually works pretty well on wet dirt.