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MacBeth
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 2:20pm | IP Logged
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OK. I know what you're thinking...there's enough bacteria in the house already.
But this is so cool.
I have been reading A Field Guide to Bacteria by Betsey Dexter Dyer. I was hooked when, in the acknowledgements, she mentions that her kids want to get t-shirts saying, "I was at an eruption of Old Faithful but didn't see it because I was too busy staring down at the bacteria in the runoff water." Truly, she is a mom after my own heart.  (this book is not written from a Christian perspective, FYI...)
On the cover of the book is a photo of the author's pet bacteria, growing in a
winogradsky column. I think that site requires a plug-in of some sort, but it demonstrates but one way to make a winogradsky column. Here is another.
Prof. Dyer suggests this recipe:
Find a large cylindrical jar (she uses a mason jar)
layer it with things that you believe might be of interest to bacteria...
straw, paper, leaves, bark, metal, manure, insect shells, boiled egg yolk, salt, Epsom salts, etc...
Then decide how to let the jar set...with sunlight, or in darkness, or both (taping some parts off), with a lid tightened, or lidless, in the cold or warmth, etc.
Hey, the author has had her winogradsky column for 20 years, so these pets are care-free, but last for a long time! Take samples from time to time to see what's in your jar (she includes instructions for viewing bacteria in the book).
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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amyable
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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This is my kind of pet! Not only is it generally care free but I'm a biologist at heart. I love microbes.
My dh will think I've gone off the deep end though... 
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
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amyable wrote:
This is my kind of pet! Not only is it generally care free but I'm a biologist at heart. I love microbes.
My dh will think I've gone off the deep end though... |
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Yeah, me too, but the kids were so happy that they began to search for the ultimate jar. .
Here is another
link to some beautiful winogradsky columns...click on the individual images to zoom in, and check out the visual observations to find out some interesting results from this batch.
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
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Karen E.
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 7:22pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
I have been reading A Field Guide to Bacteria by Betsey Dexter Dyer. I was hooked when, in the acknowledgements, she mentions that her kids want to get t-shirts saying, "I was at an eruption of Old Faithful but didn't see it because I was too busy staring down at the bacteria in the runoff water." Truly, she is a mom after my own heart.
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This is what I love about these forums ... I read about stuff I would NEVER think of. And, thanks to people like you, MacBeth, I may actually try to interest my children in the secret life of bacteria.
(Of course, it's more my speed to find a good piece of bacteria based literature, read it to the kids and then bake something in the shape of bacteria as I recommend bacteria lapbooks, but, hey, I'll give this a try!)
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Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 7:27pm | IP Logged
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Karen, to really round out your bacteria unit, try these fun Christmas gifts requiring even less care than microbes in a jar.
 .
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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Karen E.
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| Posted: Nov 17 2005 at 9:35pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
Karen, to really round out your bacteria unit, try these fun Christmas gifts requiring even less care than microbes in a jar.
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Em was just looking over my shoulder and we flipped through the links -- she said, "It might sound funny, but that bad breath looks kind of cuddly."
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Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Nov 18 2005 at 8:18am | IP Logged
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Yeah. They are cute. Paul says he wants The Clap for Christmas. 
I think they were originally meant for hospitals and doctor's offices, but they have apparently caught on.
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Bacteria as pets
