Malham Tarn Microscopists Weekends
The main entrance to Tarn House.
Back in 1994 a group of Microscopists wanting something different from the normal "sales and exchange" type of club meeting, converged for a bank holiday weekend at Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This has been an annual event ever since, and new faces are always welcome. We stay at the Malham Tarn Centre of the Field Studies Council, which is a large Georgian country house leased to the National Trust. The centre is close to the shoreline of the Tarn, which is a unique natural alkaline lake adjacent to a raised bog and fenland. The area is rich in flora and fauna of interest to the microscopist, and every year there seems to be a different species that is of particular interest either for its abundance, or indeed for its rarity!
People of all levels of experience are welcome, provided they have a microscope. Those attending do not need to be a member of any particular club, since the event is independently organised. The weekend is definitely not a "course", but there are always some experts among those attending who can provide assistance in locating and identifying specimens, or in the use of your microscope generally. A number of partners also come along and there are magnificent walks in the area for those not inclined to spend all day staring down a tube. The weekend starts with arrivals on the Friday afternoon, and after the evening meal we gather in the library to relax over coffee and to be greeted by the Head of Centre. We may then listen to one or more presentations that may have been offered. After this, the weekend is very much "free-format". For many of us a trip down to the fen is obligatory, in order to gather samples from the various pools adjacent to the board walk that snakes it way through it. One popular feature on this walk is the "utricularia pool", rich in desmids, diatoms, rotifers and, of course, bladderwort. An early walk to this provides enough study material for the rest of the weekend. Specimens may also be gathered from the tarn itself, either by wading from the shore, or possibly by taking out one of the rowing boats belonging to the centre. The species encountered differ from year to year, but one can normally rely on finding plentiful supplies of gleotrichia along with caddis flies and their larvae. Members often also lay pit fall traps for insects or make use of the illuminated insect trap in the woods near Tarn House.
Sunset over the Tarn with Great Crested Grebe
Plant life is also very diverse, both in the fen and elsewhere. Anyone interested in mosses will find plenty of varieties to collect and study. Water fowl, including great crested grebes may be observed from the hide, and often deer can be seen grazing alongside pheasants in front of the house.
Most people depart on Monday morning, although it is possible to come for a shorter or indeed sometimes a longer period. People regularly attend from as far afield as Dorset, London and Suffolk, for example. Cooked breakfast and evening meal are provided together with a packed lunch. Accommodation is in single or twin rooms, and there is a bar on the premises serving quality bottled beer and other drinks, for a couple of hours in the evenings. The cost of the weekend is around £140 including accommodation and all food.
The 2008 weekend takes place from the 22nd to the 25th of August. Further details may be obtained from:| Mike Woof | Telephone: 01686 640148 | |
| Drych Hafren, | Email: mikewoof@optics.fsnet.co.uk | |
| Fron, | An SAE would be appreciated with postal enquiries. | |
| Montgomery, | ||
| Powys | ||
| SY15 6SB |
Early booking is requested, so that numbers can be assessed in good time for the Centre to make use of any remaining spaces for other activities.
For photos from some previous weekends, and a guided tour of the house and grounds, please follow the links at the top left of this page.