Susannah Salter

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Living Mud: Grow your

own microbial zoo

Bacteria (“germs”) and other tiny microbes live all around us, and inside us! They are essential for keeping animals, plants, and the environment healthy. As part of "Grow your own microbial zoo" you will set up an experiment where we grow bacteria in a bottle/jar of mud. Some microbes are very picky about where they like to grow, so after a few weeks you will see stripes of colour such as red, green, black, or purple, showing their favourite spots to live.

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• What colours can you see in your experiment?

• Where are the clearest stripes in the container, e.g. at the top or bottom?

• Does mud from different places produce different colours?

• Compare your results to your friends!

  Children will need to be supervised/assisted during this activity.

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Workshop rating

Pictures from our participants