Spanish moss and resurrection ferns are common sights in the trees throughout southeast Georgia, but few people understand the important role they play in the water cycle. UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography scientist Althea Moore will explore the fascinating world of these plants in an Evening @ Skidaway program, titled “Water Cycle of the Oak Canopy: The Water-Trapping Plants Spanish Moss and Resurrection Fern,” on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Skidaway Institute. (Note: This event had a different speaker and title when originally announced.)

Althea Moore

“These plants, or ‘epiphytes,’ capture rainwater in the canopy,” Moore said. “This increases evaporation, cooling the canopy and ultimately contributing to cloud formation and regional climate processes. Because they lack access to soil moisture, epiphytes are specifically adapted to capture and store rainwater in tree canopies and are potentially vulnerable to increasing drought predicted with climate change.”

The program will be presented to an in-person audience as well as online. The in-person program will be presented in the McGowan Library on the UGA Skidaway Marine Science Campus (10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, Georgia, 31411). The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the talk at 7 p.m.

To view the program online, visit the UGA Skidaway Institute YouTube channel.

The program is open to the public and free of charge.