Children and adults were invited to meet the creatures from the Museum's 'Black Lagoon' on a Microscope Safari during the May Bank Holiday Growing Families event.

Rather than dipping for the usual frogs, worms and beetles visitors hunted out some of the wonderful, weird and often strangely beautiful microscopic inhabitants of the Stacey Hill Farm pond.
 

A rich variety of the bacteria, protozoa, algae, rotifers and microscopic arthropods that make up the ponds miniature ecosystem were spotted. More than 30 separate species were seen including some of the most spectacular protozoa like Vorticella and Stentor. Visitors were able to make their own microscope preparations and then use the high quality microscopes provided to discover the secrets of a hidden world.

For many this was a new and fascinating experience and some of the best observers were among the youngest children.

The event was a great success so look out for Microscope Safari's as a regular feature of future science events held at the Museum.

Clockwise from the top:

• Setting up
• The 'horned beasty' - an algae called Scenedesmus
• Everyone 'gets a go' under expert guidance
• A cilliate protozoan  called Stylonchia making more of itself
• Hiden worlds through the microscope
• A 'slipper animicule' called Paramicium
• Ciliophora
• A 'wheel animicule' or rotifer