The plants and animals you see by a stream might tell you a story about the ecosystem, but do the organisms you can’t see paint an even bigger picture?

Microscopic, single-celled diatoms are the information powerhouses of our waterways. Get a rare glimpse of the Academy’s incredible Diatom Collection and find out how we pioneered water research across the planet.

Discover how diatoms have inspired scientists to invent special tools, and create beautiful art and take home your own daring diatom design. Learn why the Academy’s Diatom Collection has the biggest impact on the world even though it has some of the tiniest specimens.

This workshop is part of the Academy’s Water Year. Find out why we need to protect this resource and how you can help.

Please bring a small snack and a filled reusable water bottle. Feel free to bring a natural history specimen from your own collection to show off, and we will provide everything else. Drop-off and check-in begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Academy’s 19th Street entrance.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Hoyt, youth and family programs educator, at alp333@drexel.edu.

Space is limited; register here register here by Thursday, May 12 at 5 p.m.

$25 child/$15 member child per workshop; additional children per family can be registered for $7 each