Microscope Workshop
Sat 23 Jun 2012
Field event ID OT1206
Report: (Paul Hugill)The microscopy workshop held at Hursley on 23rd June was an ambitious undertaking, covering a range of topics to meet the needs of both beginners and the more advanced. Space was limited, but the convenient availability of lunch with a pint from the clubhouse bar compensated for that.
About half the attendees opted for a presentation on the basics of microscopy by Stuart, who somehow managed to set out and demonstrate in a small space an array of compound and stereo microscopes ranging from the ridiculously cheap but surprisingly useful Bresser from Lidls to serious trino models, as well as a digicam and video camera connected to a laptop to demonstrate realtime viewing and the use of measurement software.
The other half of the attendees opted for an intensive practical session run by Alan and Eric, who between them covered techniques for sample preparation, the importance of looking for and identifying cheilo- and pleurocystidia, use of different stains, and the practical use of keys using the results of the microscopy as the basis.
The day passed all too quickly, leaving the attendees looking forward to the first foray of the season to try out newly acquired knowledge and skills. A highly enjoyable and useful day, which hopefully will be repeated in the future.