Photo gallery Fishy fun at the Hasler Lab
Children and adults explored aquatic life in Wisconsin’s lakes, from touching longnose gar to looking at organisms under microscopes, during an open house at the Hasler Laboratory of Limnology on June 21. Guests learned about current research on Madison lakes, met some of the plants and animals living in the waters and got a hands-on introduction to the tools freshwater scientists use.

Photo by: Althea Dotzour
Seven-year-old Esko Kotila gives Bucky Badger a high five This is the third year in a row that Kotila has come to the Limnology Open House. He’s gotten a microscope of his own to use at home, and he’s very interested in lake science.
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
Melissa Holtz reaches down to touch a longnose gar with the help of limnology research specialist Alice Ogden-Nussbaum. The long-nosed gar is a primitive fish covered with hard ganoid scales.
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
Anna Rusk and her almost-four-year-old daughter Eliza Rusk use a microscope to look for “little things in the water.” The family came for the boat rides, which were canceled due to stormy weather, but found lots of other activities at the open house instead.
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
A storm rolls across the north side of Lake Mendota with docked sailboats in the foreground as seen from the Lakeshore Path during the open house.
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
From left to right, Joy Okaa and her 3-year-old son Ryan Okaa and 5-year-old son Arnold Okaa look at organisms that live in pond water under microscopes.
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
“It’s ALIVE! Cool!” squealed Christine Chen, 11, and Jasmine Hung, 9, as they look at samples of pond water with the help of undergraduate conservation biology and zoology student Sophie Corsaro (at right).
Photo by: Althea Dotzour
A visitor uses a transfer pipette to pick up organisms from a container of pond water for viewing under a microscope.Tags: recent sightings