An awful lot happened this month; I might have to split this blog in two…
First I’ll write about getting out of the lab, away from my books and microscope, to talk microorganisms with anyone who’d listen! I joined a bunch of very knowledgeable people from the University of Liverpool and its various affiliates at Ness Gardens in Cheshire, where we shared our experiences in science. I had been looking forward to this for a while; I had planned to collect some live diatoms on the way so that I could show the kids (and grownups) how busy algae can be…zooming around like in one of the first Grand Theft Auto games – the ones with the bird’s eye view. I had heard that Park Gate near Neston, aside from having amazing ice cream, was a good place to go collecting and so designed on popping out there quickly before the event. Now, 50 years on from whence my recommendation originated, I found the landscape much changed. I was in fact cut off from my desired saltmarsh habitat by gullies filled with runoff from the town that had been dug to concentrate mosquito populations so that birds could pick them off before they became a pest for the locals…so a local tells me. I, like the mosquitos, came to rue this feat of engineering and habitat management as it made me late for my gig at the gardens…one welly short.
I had a lovely little set up in the corner, flanked by two huge posters, adorned with diatoms and algae in all their splendour. The size of these posters was a little misleading, although the other option was to run the risk of appearing unprepared!
The pillar was a little in the way, it was good for leaning on…but mostly it was just in the way.
The atmosphere was electric with young minds buzzing between stalls, fearless in their pursuit of knowledge, exploring the natural world through all sorts of clever activities, games and (of course) food – Thank the Life Science students from Liverpool and their marshmallow DNA models for the next crop of geneticists! I would provide a picture but they didn’t last long. Perhaps some sort of lesson in evolution through deletion mutation??? Next time I’ll bring Diatom Oreos or BN (ideas welcome)
There’s more to come, I promise. You won’t have to wait long for me to tell you about finding my first Diploneis.
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