Koda Moss began during COVID-19 at a time when people were reconnecting with nature at home, but live moss was almost impossible to find unless you had access to the wholesale flower market. Something as simple as finding a small piece of green for creative projects felt surprisingly out of reach, and that gap pushed me to look deeper.
My relationship with moss began long before this. As a teenager, I worked with my father in his small foliage supply business. One day at a supplier’s warehouse, he noticed someone dropping off a box of live moss. It caught his attention immediately because he grew up wandering Australia’s national parks and natural landscapes, places that shaped his values and instincts. The idea of sourcing moss felt natural to him.
Not long after, while scouting for new foliage, he made a detour into a timber plantation to search for moss. That moment marked a shift as we moved from pruning Camellias to stepping into the world of moss foraging within managed environments.
We had no idea how much that decision would influence the future. I still remember the day we walked into a section of the plantation where the ground was covered in vibrant moss. We stood there in silence and took it in. It felt like we had stepped into a different world, and that moment became the foundation of our family’s connection to this unique part of nature.
I was sixteen when we began collecting. We had almost no idea what we were doing. We carried large bed sheets filled with moss over our shoulders, and we looked like rugged plantation Santas. Mum watched from nearby and laughed while Dad and I tried to manage our oversized improvised swags. It was messy, funny and unforgettable. It was also the beginning of everything that followed.
As my interest grew, I noticed a rising fascination with terrariums, Kokedama and DIY moss builds. Moss, however, remained locked behind the wholesale market. Even worse, the volume taken to meet demand across the industry was far beyond what many local ecosystems could support. Much of it was discarded after short-term use, and that did not sit right with me.
I chose a different direction. Instead of participating in heavy and extractive practices, I set out to supply moss directly to the public in a way that respects the managed landscapes it comes from. Smaller harvests, clear traceability and a focus on helping each piece continue living for years rather than hours. You can read more about our approach to sustainability here.
The mission behind Koda Moss is simple. We provide Australia’s finest living moss and lichens while keeping our practices as ethical and sustainable as possible. Our aim is to support creativity while respecting the environments that make this work possible.
Looking back, I feel grateful to build on my father’s legacy and to continue exploring managed timber plantations in search of the moss and lichens we share with you. It is a privilege to bring a small and often overlooked part of nature into the homes of thousands of people.
If you would like to follow the ongoing Koda story, you can find us on Instagram: @koda.moss
Emrah
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