Country diary: from moss to the moon, this creature can survive anywhere

Langstone, Hampshire: Despite their unassuming appearance, tardigrades are perhaps the most resilient organisms on EarthUntil I watched Star Trek: Discovery in this latest lockdown, I'd never heard of a tardigrade. But when I learned that the super-sized, space-travelling monster on screen was inspired by a real-life micro-animal, I had to see one in the flesh.There are over 1,000 known species of these intriguing invertebrates, and as they thrive in mosses, lichens and liverworts, finding them in the garden was reputedly a relatively easy task. Continue reading...