I suppose you've seen pictures of black bears gamboling in California, or for that matter in your own back yard. Maybe you've seen monster brown bears towering over cowering couples in coupes in Wyoming? Well, change your scale. Instead of hundreds of pounds, think tenths of grams; instead of feet tall, think sixteenths of an inch long. Tardigrades. Water Bears. Moss piglets. They're all around us. They especially like living in mosses, lichens and wood. No, these diminutive critters are not really bears. They are segmented, eight-legged, water-dwelling micro animals. They don't bite or spread disease, so don't worry. Just be amazed. Tardigrades belong to an ecological group of animals called 'extremophiles:' they love (philos), or at least usually inhabit, extreme (extremo) habitats that most other organisms cannot. They've been found in bubbling hot springs, the tops of Himalayan Mountains and deep oceanic trenches; they range from arctic and antarctic and tropical zones to your back yard. They can roll up into a tiny ball (called a 'tun') and reduce their metabolic rate to a hundredth or so of normal, and in this highly desiccated state they can withstand UV and other radiation, dry periods, freezing and after decades, the tuns can bounce back as normal everyday tardigrades. Tardigrades have been around for a long long time. roughly five hundred million years. That's about 225 million years longer than the dinosaurs, who came and went. Although the fossil record for these tiny creatures is not, shall we say ,rich, what we do know is that in the past 500 million years there has not been a lot of change in the tardigrades. Pretty cool, huh?
If you happen to be in New York sometime soon, visit the Museum of Natural History, where there is an exhibit of extremophiles, called 'Life at the extremes: stories of amazing species.' It runs until January 3. You can also see an article in the NY Times. You can learn more about tardigrades at the web site of the International Society of Tardigrade Hunters, and become a tardigradophile (one who loves tardigrades!).
Historic School House Summer Library
About Deering Public Library
The petition to the Senate and House of Representatives in Portsmouth to incorporate a library in Deering was granted on 6 December 1797.
"To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in general Court at Portsmouth November 1797 Humbly sheweth [sic], That Robert Alcock Thomas Merrill Thomas Aiken William Forsaith James Sherrier and others their Associates Inhabitants of Deering have purchased a number of Books, for the purpose of a social Library in said Town, but finding it necessary to be Incorporated, in order to realize the advantages thereby Intended, by purchasing books in common, your petitioners therefore pray that they may be Incorporated with such priviledges [sic] as are usually granted in such cases, and they as in duty bound will ever pray
Robert Alcock for himself and Associates"
The Deering Library's Mission is to create a vibrant community center that inspires curiosity, personal growth and opportunities for life-long learning.
To view our policies, agendas and the minutes of trustee meetings please visit the library, or use the link to the Town of Deering website.
Deering Public Library is located in Southwest New Hampshire's glorious Monadnock Region. Deering is a quintessential New England town with a white clapboard church, a town hall at its center and a population of approximately 1800 people. The library is located year round on the second floor of the town hall. Our seasonal school house library is open during the summer.
"To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in general Court at Portsmouth November 1797 Humbly sheweth [sic], That Robert Alcock Thomas Merrill Thomas Aiken William Forsaith James Sherrier and others their Associates Inhabitants of Deering have purchased a number of Books, for the purpose of a social Library in said Town, but finding it necessary to be Incorporated, in order to realize the advantages thereby Intended, by purchasing books in common, your petitioners therefore pray that they may be Incorporated with such priviledges [sic] as are usually granted in such cases, and they as in duty bound will ever pray
Robert Alcock for himself and Associates"
The Deering Library's Mission is to create a vibrant community center that inspires curiosity, personal growth and opportunities for life-long learning.
To view our policies, agendas and the minutes of trustee meetings please visit the library, or use the link to the Town of Deering website.
Deering Public Library is located in Southwest New Hampshire's glorious Monadnock Region. Deering is a quintessential New England town with a white clapboard church, a town hall at its center and a population of approximately 1800 people. The library is located year round on the second floor of the town hall. Our seasonal school house library is open during the summer.
