What You Will Learn…

• Fast-track Your Learning with 8 lessons in 4 Weeks That’s right – we have structured the course to give you a balance between fast-track & overwhelm! You will have access to 2 lessons a week over the 4 weeks and each lesson is released with a few days in between. Through a series of video online lessons, Elaine takes us through everything that you will ever need to know on how to use your microscope effectively.

Description:

We’ve put it together this way so you will quickly get a good overview of all the lessons in front of you but you will also gain the right amount of knowledge in the right amount of time. As it is a self-paced course, once the lesson is released you have ongoing access to it, which means that you can go back at any time and revisit each lesson.

Who is this course is for:

For farmers, growers and compost/compost tea makers who want to evaluate their own biology using a microscope.

Course Content:

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Microscope

• Guide to selecting a Microscope
• How to set up microscope
• Parts and functions of a typical microscope
• Microscope best practice
• How to collect a soil sample
• How to look after your microscope

Lesson 2: Sample Preparation

• Diluting & Preparing Slides
• How to Focus correctly on your Slide and which magnification to use

Lesson 3: Morphology of Bacteria

• True bacteria, Actinobacteria,
• Spirilla, Spirochetes,
• Anaerobic Bacteria as indicators

Lesson 4: Morphology of Fungi

• Decomposer fungi,
• Mycorrhizal fungi,
• Diameters, Color

Lesson 5: Morphology of Algae, Protozoa & Nematodes

• Algae, Pollen, Parasites, Microarthropods
• Protozoa; Flagellates, Amoebae, Ciliates
• Nematodes; bacterial-feeding, fungal-feeding, predatory, root-feeding

Lesson 6: Morphology of Other Materials in the Soil

• Identifying other materials such as cellulose, plant debris, thread, diatom shells, mineral particles.
• Distinguishing between other materials & organisms

Lesson 7: Quantification (Counting Organisms)

• Sampling considerations,
• Replication,
• Determining diameters, lengths, numbers

Course Quiz

• A self correcting quiz that will test your skills

Course Presenter:

Dr Elaine Ingham

Dr Elaine Ingham is an energetic, easy-to-understand speaker who explains what life in the soil is all about. Behind this “user-friendly” approach lies a wealth of knowledge gained from years of intensive research into the organisms which make up the soil foodweb.