Walk around a pond and just take a small cup of water from the edge of the pond. What you just got is lots and lots and lots of glass houses. It’s almost ironic; what you think is nasty pond scum is mostly absolutely beautiful jewels of nature. Ironically, nobody knows what these glass houses do for the diatoms; tiny little guys and gals that live inside the glass house.

I just mounted a few live diatoms in a glass slide and looked through my foldscope (140x).  I was very happy with what I saw; specially quiet surprised to find “gliding” diatoms. Yes – you heard it right; gliding diatoms. It’s a puzzle inside a puzzle – isn’t that fascinating.

Go get some pond water and take a look. Who knows what’s waiting for you.

Cheers

Manu