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Hundreds expected to 'rock out'
this weekend
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Illinois State Geological Survey hosting field trip
[APRIL 15, 2005]
VERMILION COUNTY
-- The Illinois State Geological
Survey, a division of the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, this weekend hosts its first of four annual
scientist-escorted field trips. The trips are designed to acquaint
the general public with geology, landscape, mineral resources and
biodiversity.
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"These field trips are almost like an
opportunity to recruit support of the IDNR mission," said Joel
Brunsvold, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "Our
agency is dedicated to educating the public about natural resources
and ways to protect them. The people who go on these tours come away
with a deep appreciation for the natural wonders of the state."
Geologists and other scientists lead
the tours for the Illinois State Geological Survey. The tour route
includes frequent stops to explore and talk with the experts, as
well as opportunities to collect rocks, minerals and fossils.
Each participant will receive a
guidebook explaining the geology, topography and other features
along the route and at the stops. People of all ages are welcome,
but grade school groups must be supervised by at least one adult for
every five students, and one adult must accompany every 10 high
school students.
"These tours are incredibly popular,
attracting hundreds of people statewide," said William Shilts,
Ph.D., head of the Illinois Geological Survey. "They are popular
because they are educational and fun. It's a great chance to
appreciate spring, nature and our environment. They are also a great
experience for us scientists, interacting with the people who
benefit from our research."
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 This Saturday, participants will
tour
Kickapoo State Park and the surrounding area, explore outcrops
of coal-bearing Pennsylvanian-age strata, walk along the banks of
the wild and scenic Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, visit a
limestone quarry, and examine exposures of Pleistocene glacial
deposits. This central Illinois scenic area provides a good
opportunity to collect a variety of good specimens, including
fossils and a variety of igneous and metamorphic erratics.
People who are interested in
attending should meet before 8:15 a.m. Saturday at the pavilion
shelter in Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County. Use Exit 206
from Interstate 74 and then turn north on Newtown Road,
approximately one mile from the overpass. Turn right on Glenburn
Creek Road and follow signs leading to Kickapoo State Park and the
pavilion shelter.
In addition to the tour on Saturday,
a similar tour will also take place May 7 in the same location.
Additional information about the
tours is available online at
http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/field-trips/ft04-05/ft0405_c.htm,
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release] |
