Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
Plantlife’s No Mow May Movement is back for 2026 – help nature and let your lawn grow this May and beyond!
Over 25% of Britain’s native plants are threatened with extinction – your gift today could change that.
Will you help save endangered species?
Our corporate partners benefit from 35 years of experience in nature restoration so they can achieve real impact.
Become a Plantlife member today and together we will secure a world rich in plants and fungi
16 March 2026
A short film about moss — created with neurodiverse young people in mid Wales — has won a string of international film and arts awards, shining the global spotlight onto an overlooked part of the natural world, and the voices of the young people who explored it.
Gentle as Moss on Stone, created by artists boredomresearch has won seven major awards and received four further nominations at film festivals in the UK and abroad. The short film was commissioned as an arts engagement project in support of the Natur am Byth! species recovery programme with Plantlife Cymru and NRW providing expert guidance.
Vicky Isley and Paul Smith aka boredomresearch said: “We wanted to create an immersive public engagement project that would invite young people into a deeper, more personal relationship with the natural world – specifically mosses. “We developed a series of workshops exploring the complexity, vulnerability and surprising resilience of moss with two groups of neurodiverse people at Newtown College, Powys.”
The outcomes of these workshops shaped the visual and emotional landscape of the final award-winning film Gentle as Moss on Stone. Microscopic imagery created by the students inspired parts of the film, while their reflections on hope, fear, and identity informed the development of ten fictional moss species that appear throughout the piece.
In the words of one of the participants, Dante: “Thank you, for opening our eyes to the wonders in nature and for teaching us about different species of moss based on the climate, habitats, where they’re from and where they like to thrive. I …was surprised when I found out there are 12,000 species of moss!”
And another of the young people, Thomas: “For something I wouldn’t usually care about, I found it very interesting …”
Participants experienced hands-on microscopy, gained insight into Wales’ rarest mosses and designed miniature moss themed film sets incorporating objects of personal meaning.
Gentle as Moss on Stone positions moss as a gentle yet powerful guide – symbolising stillness, resilience, and beauty in the overlooked – echoing the lived experiences of the young people who helped bring the project to life.
Plantlife Cymru’s Project Officer Ellie Baggett said: “We were thrilled to support the project throughout, by providing expert guidance on two of Wales’ rarest mosses – Upright Apple Moss Bartramia aprica and Dog Screw Moss Tortula canescens – and facilitating site visits including connecting the artists with the National Botanic Garden of Wales, where the species are grown off-site. It’s great to have a conservation film in the spotlight – and we’re keeping everything crossed that the film continues to gain critical acclaim!”
Awards Won:
Award Nominations:
We will keep you updated by email about our work, news, campaigning, appeals and ways to get involved. We will never share your details and you can opt out at any time. Read our Privacy Notice.
