Most Wonderful in the Smallest ― A Year in Pursuit of Common Freshwater Microorganisms

Most Wonderful in the Smallest presents a first-person journal of a year-long record of collecting, identifying, describing, and photographing common microscopic organisms gathered from freshwater environments within short distances from the author’s home. Extensively illustrated, numerous photographs of the organisms show details of taxonomy, anatomy, behavior, and environment that are mentioned in the journal. The author’s objectives with this work are to document the great number and diversity of microscopic organisms that occupy freshwater environments all around us, to illustrate the fact that viewing and photographing these organisms does not require expensive or sophisticated means, and to call attention to the need for more people to recognize the presence and importance of these micro-communities.

I was born in Albany but grew up in the beautiful and historic Schoharie valley of New York state. I received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of St. Rose and graduated from the Albany School of Cytotechnology (now a part of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). For sixteen years I worked in commercial cytopathology laboratories microscopically screening cell samples for cancer and cancer precursors. However, a fascination with paleontology ultimately led me to a career at the New York State Museum where I first microscopically examined disaggregated rock samples for Cambrian-age microfossils and, later, turned to paleobotany. In collaboration with colleagues from the NYSM, Binghamton University, and Cardiff University I helped make significant contributions to Devonian paleobotany through new discoveries pertaining to Earth’s oldest forests at Gilboa, New York. Much of this research was published in the journal Nature. After retiring from the NYSM in 2014 I have been able to focus time and attention on light microscopy, my hobby of many years. In particular, I study the protists and micro-metazoans of freshwater environments. Most Wonderful in the Smallest came about as a result of realizing that there is very little literature available concerning freshwater microorganisms for the general public.I live in Rensselaerville, New York with my husband.