For my fold scope project I looked at soil from two different locations. I saw a lot of posts about different animal, insect, and plant projects but not as many mineral so was curios to test this tools ability to do that.

First I got a soil sample from UNF's Eco adventure which is part of a nature preserve. I wanted to compare this sample to one from a manicured bed in the center of campus and see if there was a dramatic difference.

The on campus site I collected dirt

After collecting samples, I added filtered water (from a Berkey) and let it sit on my window sill for a week.

After a week this is what the soil looked like.

Eco
On Campus


When preparing the slides I made sure to put the sample on thin enough to allow light to shine through.

The slides above show the dirt sample from Eco Adventure. There appears to be a good bit of sand, some soil, and minerals. Unfortunately I was not able to identify any microorganisms.


Here we see the soil composition from on campus. There was a much higher mineral content and a good bit of organic matter.

Overall it was very interesting to look at soil with the fold scope. Taking photos with my phone was definitely a challenge specifically with getting it focused.