It's been a tough year for the plant people at UBC. The most recent loss was the passing last week of Dr. Wilf Schofield, professor emeritus in the Department of Botany. An internationally-renowned bryologist (one who studies mosses and liverworts), Wilf had an immeasurable impact on the understanding of these diminutive plants (particularly in the Pacific Northwest of North America). Over a decade ago, Wilf was honoured with a special issue of the Botanical Electronic News, dedicated to him on the occasion of his 70th birthday: BEN 168. At the time, he had collected 107,990 bryophyte specimens -- over 4 per day for every day of his life. He continued to collect, I believe, until this past summer, and his collections form the majority of the UBC Herbarium's bryophyte collection.
I didn't know Wilf as well as I would have liked -- the garden and the botany department (and herbarium) are separated by a 15 minute walk, and there are too few occasions to visit -- but in all my interactions with him, including as a student, I recall only positive things: patience, curiousity, intellect. His death is a loss that will be shared by many.
This patch of stair-step moss / stepped feathermoss was also featured in this wider shot of the area.
my deepest regrets to ubc
and to the plant world at large
and to dr schofields family
Mosses (and lichens ... and fungi, etc.) don't get the respect they deserve. Nor do the people who study them, professionals and amateurs alike. Thanks for the photos and the tribute to Dr. Schofield.
An accessible introduction to mosses for anyone is the little book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In a collection of delightful personal essays, Kimmerer goes beyond the mere science to show us a deeper meaning of these lovely organisms, and what can be learned from them.
My sympathie at the loss of such a worthy man. I have always been very partial to mosses, lichens, etc., and was amused to find tiny patches of green lichens populating the fabric covered roof of my car. They showed up well, and it was a dreary misty day. In the bright sun the following day, however, they were scarcely noticeable. Such adaptable plants!