Do your preliminary research to familiarize yourself about a site's characteristics before you head out to a site. Joining a local natural history society can also be a good resource for you. These societies are often able to gain access to areas that may be restricted to the general public. Most societies have a code of conduct for fossil collecting. Always obtain permission from the appropriate authorities before you start collecting fossils.
Microfossils are fossils that are too small to be seen without a microscope.
Pollen, bacteria, and single-cell organisms can be found as fossils but are often overlooked. Macrofossils are easier to find. Fossilized plants and animals, and their parts and traces are all macrofossils. Microfossils are tiny, but recognizable, bits of plant or animal matter. They occur in thousands of different forms, but the most common are pollen grains, spores, reproductive structures of fungi, and numerous walls of microscopic algae.