Join us for a geology tour of Glen Providence Park! We are bringing back one of our most popular walks – Charles Randall will explain the geological history of the area, and he’ll put the rocks of the park into the regional picture. To supplement the rocks we can find, he will bring samples of what’s likely to be under the biology.

Geology Walk

Saturday, March 17
10:00-12:00 noon
Entrance at 3rd & West Streets
Rain date Saturday, March 24

Logistics:

• * Please note the location – we are starting at the entrance at Third and West Streets in Media. *
• Be prepared for uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear sturdy shoes that can get wet.
• Free & family-friendly
• If the weather is questionable, we will post on Facebook and our website on Saturday by 9:00am whether we use our rain date (the following Saturday).

Join us for a geology tour of Glen Providence Park! We are bringing back a popular walk from 2014 – Charles Randall will explain the geological history of the area, and he’ll put the rocks of the park into the regional picture. To supplement the rocks we can find, he will bring samples of what’s likely to be under the biology.

Geology Walk!

Saturday, November 5
10:00am – 12:00noon
* Meet at 3rd & West Streets, Media
Rain or shine

Logistics:

• * Please note the location- we are starting at the entrance at Third and West Streets in Media. *
• Be prepared for uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear sturdy shoes that can get wet.
• Free!
• The event is rain or shine, but if the weather is miserable, we will post on Facebook and our website by 9:00am on Saturday whether we will cancel.

We had a fantastic turnout on a beautiful morning on November 8 for a fun geology tour of Glen Providence Park! With humor and interesting anecdotes, geologist Charles Randall taught us about the “orogeny,” the geological forces that created the terrain of the “glen,” which is the Scottish term for a deep valley. It wasn’t caused by glaciers – the glacier line was north at Blue Mountain in the Poconos!

The Appalachians, once as high as the Himalayas are today, were formed when the African tectonic plate collided (over millions of years) with the North American plate. The glen is (perhaps fortuitously) parallel to both the Appalachians and the Atlantic coast, in line with the geologic faults from that collision. It is interesting that before tectonic theory had developed, T. Chalkley Palmer made some accurate observations about the geology of the glen in his 1889 essay about Scroggie Valley!

Don’t expect to find any fossils in the park – there simply aren’t any in the metamorphic Wissahickon Schist that underlies the area. Wissahickon Schist has varying amounts of mica and quartz, and comprises some of the rocks in the Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall by the pond. The stream is the best place to look for rocks in the park, as those on land are generally covered with soil – but after many years of disruption, even those in the stream might not have originated in the park.

Along the way on our walk there were turtles, lingering fall foliage, a Belted Kingfisher flying over the pond, and the native American witch hazel with its yellow flowers in bloom. Thank you to Charles Randall for leading us, and to the 36 adults and kids who attended, including a group of Cub Scouts!

Check out some photos below of our beautiful late-fall walk – click on any for a closer look.

Join us for a geology tour of Glen Providence Park! Charles Randall will explain the geological history of the area, and he’ll put the rocks of the park into the regional picture. To supplement the rocks we can find, he will bring samples of what’s likely to be under the biology.
 

Geology Walk!

Saturday, November 8
10:00am – 12:00noon
* Meet at 3rd & West Streets, Media
Rain date Sunday, November 9, 3:00
 
 

Logistics:

• * Please note the location- we are starting at the entrance at Third and West Streets in Media. *
• Be prepared for uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear sturdy shoes that can get wet.
• Free!
• If the weather is questionable on November 8, we will post on facebook and our website by 9:00am whether we will use the Sunday rain date.