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The Quiz: What’s one way that mosses help the environment? A Fire prevention B Absorption of gamma rays C Temperature control Mosses can keep the soil warm or cool it down. In deserts, for example, they protect tree roots by acting as a buffer to minimize the heat that reaches the soil. In icy environments, … Read more

The Quiz: What type of photography was used to take this picture of wall screw-moss? A Micro B Macro C Light painting Macro photography is the art of taking close-up photos of tiny things—often the insects, animals, and plants we can’t see very well with the naked eye. The correct answer to this quiz is … Read more

The Quiz: What is the branch of botany that studies mosses? A Crenology B Bryology C Mossophagy ‘Bryein’ is the Greek word for moss, and it means ‘to grow luxuriantly.’ That makes bryology a perfect name for the study of these resilient plants, since they account for most of the biodiversity in wetlands as well … Read more

The Quiz: What’s the name of this cylindrical rock formation? A Devils Tower B Bear Lodge C Both are correct The dramatic butte in northeastern Wyoming stands 867 feet from base to summit. The monolith in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills is sacred to Indigenous tribes of the Great Plains like … Read more

The Quiz: What are we celebrating with today’s art-meets-nature photo? A Indigenous Peoples’ Day B Public Art Day C National Monuments Day In October 2021, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation declaring Indigenous Peoples’ Day a national holiday. Celebrated the second Monday of October, the holiday had originally been adopted by some states and municipalities … Read more

The Quiz: Devils Tower was prominently featured in what film? A Close Encounters of the Third Kind B Brokeback Mountain C Dances with Wolves Devils Tower served as the landing site of an alien spacecraft in the 1977 science fiction movie ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind,’ written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film’s … Read more