Geology Program at the Cincinnati Nature Center

Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Nature Center offered a two-hour Geology Program for Scouts at Rowe Woods.  One chaperone per six participants was required.  The cost was $10 per Scout, and chaperones were free.  Online registration was easy.  In the days leading up to our event, I received a couple of emails providing drop off and pick up instructions.  Rain boots or water shoes were highly recommended.  I ordered a Geology fun patch for the troop through Advantage Emblem.
   
Upon our arrival, we were directed to a classroom.  Staff and volunteers divided the participants and chaperones into three groups:  Boy Scouts, our Brownies, and our Juniors.  We set off on our way.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover our instructor was my middle school science teacher!  

We walked along portions of a couple trails and learned about Ohio's State Flower (scarlet carnation), Wildflower (white trillium), Bird (cardinal), and Tree (buckeye).  Our guide also identified poison ivy for the girls and recited the famous rhyme, "If it's hairy, it's scary."

At various points during our hike, the girls had the opportunity to use a soil auger to obtain soil samples.  These samples were inspected for similarities and differences.

At one point during the hike, we stopped to speak with a professional geologist.  He seemed excited to tell the girls that he works with many female geologists.  He informed us of the educational requirements should the girls wish to explore geology as a future profession.  The photos on his display pictured geologists working in a variety of settings, including caves, mines, and wetlands.  After explaining how geologists extract a sample of rock from the earth, he showed us how they test the hardness of a rock.

Following a brief discussion about erosion, we made our way down to the creek and met up with the rest of our troop.  After being shown samples, the girls were asked to find a sedimentary rock, a glacial erratic rock, and fossils.  Splashing in the creek and searching for fossils was the highlight of the trip.  We all enjoyed sharing the fossils we discovered with the others in the group.

A very rare discovery--horn coral!

The Cincinnati Nature Center consistently provides fun educational programming for children and families.  I've heard their CincyNature Camps are phenomenal! 

I invite you to check back soon.  My daughters and I visited Mammoth Cave over Spring Break, and I'll share our experience in my next blog post.  Thank you for reading.