Practical notes

Short, practical pages for getting a good look at pond life: sampling, slides, light and size.

• Taking a sampleWhere to look and what to bring home: plant scrapings, bottom film, moss.
• Making a wet mountA drop, a coverslip, and how to avoid bubbles and squashed animals.
• Magnification and field of viewHow to estimate size by how much of the field an organism takes.
• Light and contrastMost pond organisms are transparent. A little less light shows them better.
• Slowing down fast swimmersCiliates and rotifers rarely sit still. A few ways to make them.
• Keeping a culture jarA hay or leaf infusion gives you ciliates for weeks.
• Filming through the eyepieceA phone held to the eyepiece can record surprisingly good video.