October 2023 Program Information
October 2023 Program
Marcia M took a trip to Greenland for 2 weeks with an international geology group. She presented a beautiful slideshow set to music for us to enjoy.The area is above the Arctic circle, but still has many wildflowers blooming, with many types of birds. Marcia's photos were exquisite and labeled with the scientific/common names.
There were many oohs and ahhs, especially when pictures of polar bears huddling together were shown. If you are interested in seeing some of the same flora and fauna from Greenland, check out these websites:
https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/10373
https://visitgreenland.com/wildlife-in-greenland/
There was a small village that Marcia saw called Ittoqqortoormiit which had houses near the coast. To see some photos of this, go to
https://visitgreenland.com/destinations/ittoqqortoormiit/
Her photos of the sea ice & glaciers were phenomenal. She visited the Kong Oscar fjord.
Go to https://travel2unlimited.com/greenland-kong-oscar-fjord/
Marcia's group was focused on the geology of the area. She had samples of a few rocks she collected to show us. We got to hold a piece of Greenland in our hands!
Similar photos are at: https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/blog/greenland-s-vivid-landscapes-raw-undiscovered-and-unexpected
Debbie G showed some photos of her summer vacation trips. {You can search these sites on the internet if you are interested.} The USA has some unique places.
Alabama has some interesting sites, and she & David plan to go back. An unexpected discovery was the Wetumpka Impact Crater north of Montgomery. An 1100' meteorite hit a shallow sea 80 mya and created a 6 mile diameter crater that was only interpreted in 1999.
Huntsville is of course the home of the US Space and Rocket Center and has one of only 3 Saturn V rockets in the world- the 363' long rocket is inside the museum, lying on its side divided into sections. The museum features the history of rockets, significant events and people. There are many outside displays as well and is the site of the NASA Space Camp.
OH also has an outer space museum - the birthplace and museum of Neil Armstrong in Wapakoneta. It has a moon rock he collected.
We also visited Lake Erie to see the "world's largest geode" on the island of Put-In-Bay, OH. An underground deposit of celestite was discovered in 1897 while digging for a well. The mineral was sold for fireworks because the strontium in it burns crimson. Luckily the family decided to preserve the site and use it as a tourist attraction called Crystal Cave. It's only accessible by ferry, and the island has only 250 inhabitants, but is quite beautiful. The island also has the Perry International & Peace Monument.
Off to WV where the Robert C. Byrd radio telescope can be visited along with a museum showcasing the history of radio telescopes and the scientists' discoveries. It's located in the National Quiet Zone of Greenbank, near Cass RR.
Milton WV is the home of the Blenko Glass Company where you can see beautiful glass objects being fired. The history of the company and many beautiful creations are there to enjoy (and purchase!). The colors are dependent on various minerals.
Chattanooga TN is the site of Raccoon Caverns, a relatively small cave compared to the popular Ruby Falls. (We visited that cavern many years ago, but it was sold out & tickets must be purchased in advance.) It was very pretty, though.
We visited Waco, TX on the way to visit my son in Abilene and as a side trip to the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, TX. Waco is home to a Mammoth Site which is an active archaeological dig where 22 Columbian mammoth skeletons have been discovered.
I think we all had a wonderful time this evening and learned lots of interesting facts, as well as places to visit to get smarter!! 😊